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THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 



GRANT ALLEN'S 
HISTORICAL GUIDES 

X 

PARIS. By Grant Allen. 

FLORENCE. By Grant Allen. 

VENICE. By Grant Allen. 

CITIES OF BELGIUM. By Grant Allen. 

THE UMBRIAN TOWNS. By J. W. and 

A. M. Cruickshank. 
CLASSICAL ROME. By H. Stuart Jones. 
CHRISTIAN ROME. By J. W. and A. M. 

Cruickshank. 
THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS. By 

J. W. and A. M. Cruickshank. 
THE CITIEr. OF NORTHERN ITALY. 

By G. C. Williamson, Litt.D. 



Fcap. 8vo. Cloth, round corners. 



GRANT ALLEN'S HISTORICAL GUIDES 

THE SMALLER 
TUSCAN TOWNS 

BY 

J. W. ^ A. M. CRUICKSHANK 



WITH THIRTY-TWO REPRODUCTIONS 
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS 




NEW YORK 
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 

LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS LTD. 



-^Qs. 






'U 



-//y/r 



7 



^ PREFACE 

) . • 

THE following pages have been compiled on the prin- 
ciple laid down by the late Mr Grant Allen — viz. 
concentration on what is essential and typical. It would 
be impossible within the limits of a hand-book to draw 
attention to everything that is significant^ but the aim 
has been to avoid any narrow rule of choice. 

The writers know of no good historical account of 
Tuscany as a whole in English. Translations of the works 
of Prof. Villari, the histories of Siena by E. G. Gardner^ 
Langton Douglas and F. Schevill^ as well as the books 
of W. Heywood; will help the traveller. Among Italian 
books the Dizionario of Repetti gives a concise note on 
every important place in Tuscany. For Lucca^ the " Som- 
mario " of Girolamo Tommasi ; for Pisa^ Morrona's '' Pisa 
Illustrata "; and for Siena^ the history of Giugurta Tom- 
masi^ may be read. 

Among the best English books on artistic subjects are 
Anderson's " Architecture of the Renaissance in Italy " ; 
Perkin's " Tuscan Sculptors " ; '' Italian Sculpture of the 
Renaissance/'' by L. J. Freeman ; '' Central Italian 
Painters of the Renaissance/' '' Florentine Painters of the 
Renaissance," '' Study and Criticism of Italian Art/' 2 
vols.^ all by B. Berenson ; H. Wolfflin's '' Art of the ItaHan 
Renaissance " (translation) ; and from the general point 
of view^ " The Renaissance in Italy/' by J. A. Symonds. 
"he history of Italian art which is in course of publica- 



vi PREFACE 

tion^ by Sig. Venturi (text in Italian)^ is encyclopaedic in 
range^ whilst the variety of illustration will cause it to be 
-indispensable. Volumes of the series^ ^^ Italia Artistica/' 
deal with Prato^ Val d'Arno^ Siena^ S. Gimignano^ Volterra^ 
Arezzo^ Cortona^ Montepulciano^ with Chiusi^ etc.^ and the 
Maremma. They are amply illustrated. We are indebted 
to these and other similar books, as well as to the authors 
of former guide-books, such as those of Gsell Fels, Murray, 
and Baedeker. 



INTRODUCTION 

TUSCANY will always have a peculiar charm for the 
traveller. During three hundred yearS;, from the 
early times of communal life in the cities to the days of 
Leonardo and Michelangelo the Tuscan people lived life 
at first hand. It has seldom happened that personality, 
character^ mental power and intellectual sensibility have 
been so free from convention and have had such complete 
control of society as among the Tuscan people during these 
centuries. What the days of Elizabeth are to an English- 
man, the thirteenth^ fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in 
Tuscany are to an Italian. A keen political consciousness^ 
a widely spread gift of esthetic sensibility^ a high standard 
of achievement, an audacity tempting to spiritual en- 
counter, a passion of wonder, brought ordinary life near to 
the life of intuitive imagination. 

It is natural that the traveller should want to see how 
this remarkable society expressed itself, what sort of 
surroundings it provided for its activities, how it satisfied 
its love of beauty. Fortunately the search for such things 
will take him into every corner of a wonderful land ; he 
will inevitably mix with every condition of men, he wdll see 
the life of a race having an immemorial tradition of civilisa- 
tion, he will journey through a country of strangely diverse 
beauty. If he be of Northern race he w^ill find the quality 
of the life and the art gain in piquancy by a setting different 
from his own. This variety in habit and the climate of a 
Southern land will yield a constant delight, whether the 
sojourn be in some great city in some wide upland valley, in 
some remote mountain town, among the chestnut forests, 
or on the strangely fascinating Maremma shore. 

The history of mediaeval Tuscany was determined by 
the vigorous individuality of its people. Their vitality 

vii 



viii INTRODUCTION 

was so great, their appetite for life so absorbing, that only 
the strong hand of some external power sufficed to hold in 
check the centrifugal impulse. In the eighth century the 
Frankish kings, Pippin and Charles, conquered Northern 
and Central Italy, or rather they conquered the Lombards, 
who two centuries before had subdued the larger part of 
Italy. The Frankish conquerors governed Tuscany by 
setting up a powerful marquisate, which remained a real 
instrument of government until the death of the Countess 
Matilda in 1115. When the Imperial power fell into 
weaker hands the Tuscan towns seized their opportunity 
and developed municipal government under the admini- 
stration of the greater citizen families. The men of 
Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca saw that '' behind the 
sublime figures of the Pope and the Emperor, stood the 
people, the true source of social existence." As the cities 
grew into powerful states, the territorial families such as 
the Guidi, the Aldobrandeschi, and the Malaspina were 
reduced to the state of ordinary nobles and soldiers of 
fortune. It is worth noting that in the sixteenth and 
seventeenth centuries, in the days of national decline, 
some of these ancient feudal races having become merged 
in the families of condottieri and of papal nephews re- 
appear among the minor rulers of the country. 

Particularism was the undoing of the Tuscan political 
genius ; but the vigorous individualism that was disas- 
trous in politics was the source of the extraordinary interest 
we feel in the civilisation that sprang from it. Whether it 
was the ecclesiastical reformation under Hildebrand, or 
the moulding of the vulgar tongue into a beautiful language, 
or the revival of classical literature and art, or the stirring 
of conscience under Savonarola, Tuscan intellect, Tuscan 
imagination, Tuscan sensibility was always one of the 
chief among the forces at work. We still see the reflection 
of this intense vitality, not only in Florence, not only in the 
larger towns of secondary importance, but often in the 
villages and hamlets scattered broadcast over Tuscany. 
A short summary will make this clear. 



INTRODUCTION ix 

Architecture 

In architecture as in everything else the ItaHan was 
practical ; houses were built in general conformity with the 
habit of the time^ but there was no desire to set a grand 
style in place of private convenience. Thus the buildings 
of an Italian town are characteristic^ although the char- 
acter is different from that of Nuremberg or Chartres. 
In the South the eye follows horizontal lines instead of 
vertical^ as we may see in the Via S. Pietro at Siena^ where 
buildings in the pointed style have been adapted to the 
Italian preference for breadth instead of height^ for spacious 
harmony rather than picturesque detail. This harmony 
of simplicity and dignity is found in houses built for defence^ 
such as the Castle of Poppi (in the Casentino)^ in the Re- 
naissance palace of Pius II. at Pienza^ and in the houses 
of Vignola (sixteenth century) at Montepulciano^ although 
it must be added that in these last examples dignity is 
tempered by dulness. 

The civic palaces of Siena^ Volterra^ S. Gimignano^ 
Arezzo^ Pistoia and Prato date from the thirteenth and 
fourteenth centuries ; they are generally adaptations of the 
pointed style. They are massive and dignified ; they have 
an extraordinary effect in giving character to their sur- 
roundings^ but their builders would never have dreamed 
of covering them with ornamental detail common in the 
town halls of Germany and Belgium. 

The contrast between the churches of Italy and those of 
the North is quite as marked ^ and affects each of the 
styles of architecture as they follow one another. The 
debonair humanism of the South is opposed to the 
asceticism of the North ; a mundane and positive habit of 
mind conflicts with love of the supernatural and mystical ; 
the Southern (of the fine periods) avoids emphasis. He 
thinks in terms of space rather than in the surfaces en- 
closing it ; he regards the whole instead of the parts. 

The fortunes of the different towns in Tuscany have 



X INTRODUCTION 

been various. In Florence and Siena there are few examples 
of churches in the style known generally as Romanesque 
which served not only Italy but Western Europe up to the 
twelfth century ; in Pisa, on the contrary, while there 
are interesting designs in the pointed manner such as 
S. Caterina, S. Francesco and S. M. della Spina, the Duomo 
and most of the smaller churches are in the Romanesque 
style ; while at Lucca the important buildings are almost 
all Romanesque, the pointed style only occurring in the 
reconstructed nave of the Duomo, in S. Francesco, in 
S. Maria della Rosa and other small examples. 

The Benedictine Church of S. Antimo near Montalcino, 
S. Pietro in Grado near Pisa, the Pieve of Arezzo, the 
Duomo of Pisa and the churches of Lucca are character- 
istic Romanesque buildings in different stages of develop- 
ment. The Cistercian Church of S. Galgano, the Duomo 
of Siena, and the Duomo of Arezzo are examples of Italian 
adaptations of pointed buildings. 

The Duomo of Pienza, S. Maria delle Carceri at Prato 
and S. Biagio at Montepulciano represent phases of Re- 
naissance impulse. Five or six centuries intervene between 
S. Antimo and S. Biagio. They have this in common, that 
both represent an ideal and a conviction. In the case of 
S. Antimo, Benedictine discipline was coincident with a 
simplification of forms impressive in its spacious artifice ; 
the unbending assertion of a.uthority, which foreshadowed 
the Catholic reaction of the sixteenth century, was also 
coincident with a simplification of forms emphasising the 
magisterial institutionalism of S. Biagio. 

Sculpture 

The record of Tuscan sculptors begins with the carving 
of capitals, door jambs and lintels. For the most part this 
work is less interesting than contemporaneous Lombard 
carving. There is indeed often a curious lack of imagina- 
tion and a want of confidence and skill in the early Roman- 
esque carving to be found at S. Antimo, on the Pieve at 



INTRODUCTION xi 

Pienza, on the capitals of the churches in the Casentino 
and elsewhere ; it is unrelieved by the freshnesS;, the vivacity 
and ndiveie which we find in the sculpture of S. Ambrogio 
at Milan. 

From the middle of the twelfth century there is a con- 
tinuous succession of monuments^ sometimes dated and 
signed^ showing that the individuality of the artist was 
emerging from the anonimity of the school. The font of 
Robertus at Lucca (1151); the lintel of S. Andrea at Pistoia 
by Gruamons (1166)^ and various pieces by Biduinus are 
among the most notable of such works. The fagade and 
atrium of S. Martino at Lucca and the doors of the baptistery 
at Pisa belong to the earlier part of the thirteenth century. 
About the year 1250 it is probable that the group of 
S. Martin was made for the facade at Lucca^ and about 
the same time what is supposed to be a portrait statue of 
the sculptor Guido Bigarelli was placed under the pulpit 
in S. Bartolommeo in Pistoia. These two notable pieces 
form the last link in the chain which leads up to the 
decisive work of Niccolo Pisano. His work on the 
fagade of Lucca has been placed as early as 1240. It 
has been supposed that he worked on the outside of the 
baptistery at Pisa in or about 1250^ in 1260 he made the 
pulpit for the baptistery, and the pulpit for Siena in 1266. 
In the pulpit of 1260 Niccolo realises the classical style 
which had been the aim of Romanesque sculptors through- 
out the twelfth century. But the academic balance, the 
breadth of outlook, the passionless calm of Niccolo's 
classical study, was ill suited to the tumultuous life of the 
times. The Tuscan communes had won a long and hard 
struggle with the territorial nobles ; the moral and re- 
ligious life of. the time had been deeply stirred by the 
example of S. Francis ; life was being valued by new 
standards and men were in no humour to accept abstract 
generalisations and reticent ceremonial as a sufficient 
measure of existence. That Niccolo himself felt the 
new and vigorous current of emotion is clear when we 
compare the baptistery pulpit at Pisa of 1260 with the 



xii INTRODUCTION 

Siena pulpit of 1266. But it was in the pulpits made by 
Giovanni Pisano for S. Andrea^ Pistoia^ 1298-1301^ and for 
the Duomo of Pisa^ 1302-1310 (now in the Museo Civico); 
that we see how completely the ^^ sweet new style " had 
taken the place of the classical work of 1260. The sculp- 
tures on S. Maria della Spina at Pisa^ the work of Tino da 
Camaino at Pisa and Siena^ the statues of Nino Pisano at 
Pisa and the sculpture on the facade of the Duomo at 
Siena (now renewed) belong to the same style and century. 
' Renaissance sculpture of the fifteenth century (apart 
from that of Florence) is most notable in the work of the 
Sienese^ Jacopo della Quercia (or perhaps Guercia). He 
made the tomb of Ilaria del Caretto at Lucca soon after 
her death in 1405^ the Fonte Gaya at Siena (1409-1419)^ 
the remains of which are now in the loggia of the Pal 
PubblicO; and; assisted by Donatello^ Ghiberti and others, 
the font in the baptistery at Siena. The virile style of 
Jacopo did not exercise lasting influence^ his successors 
preferred more placid and effeminate qualities. Delicacy 
of finish; sweetness of feeling and expression^ conventional 
nicetieS; were more popular. Matteo Civitale successfully 
practised this kind of art at Lucca. 

In the fifteenth and in the early part of the sixteenth 
century^ Luca della Robbia and his descendants made 
many decorative reliefs in glazed earthenware. Examples 
occur all over Tuscany. Good pieces are found at La 
Verna in the Casentino^ at the church of the Osservanza 
near Siena^ at Radicofani^ at Santa Flora on Monte 
Amiata^ in Pistoia^ and at Montepulciano. 

Painting 

In Tuscany throughout the thirteenth century many 
men were painting : their work is more interesting in its 
tendencies than in its accomplishment. Paintings still in 
existence are ascribed to the Berlinghieri and Orlando 
Diodato of Lucca^ to Giunta da Pisa^ to Guido da Siena^ to 
Margaritone of Arezzo^ and to many others less well known. 



INTRODUCTION xiii 

The Sienese painters form the most interesting school that 
worked in the smaller towns of Tuscany. Duccio di 
Buoninsegna (d. 1319X Simone Martini (d. 1344X and the 
brothers Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti (not heard of 
after 1348) laid a broad and wide foundation, mainly on 
Byzantine tradition. They developed an art differing in 
kind^ but^ in its own way^ equal in importance to that of 
their contemporaries at Florence. Exquisite ornament^ 
brilliant colour and sensitive line gave expression to a 
beauty^ visionary but full of graciousness^, serene and de- 
tached from things of sense. Their successors, the Sienese 
painters of the fifteenth century^ remained strangely 
apart from the general current of national life. The sense 
for lovely colour and the gift for a certain elusive charm 
never entirely disappeared^ but with few exceptions the 
painters were craftsmen rather than artists. The most 
complete collection of their work is in the gallery at Siena^ 
but in many an isolated place^ standing far from the busy 
life of people, a Sienese altar-piece brings the life of the 
spirit within range of a race who are born and who grow 
old in tilling the soil their ancestors have dwelt upon for 
untold generations. Of artists, not native Sienese, Pintu- 
ricchio and Bazzi painted important frescoes in the town. 
Bazzi also worked at Monte Oliveto and near Pienza. 

The best native Pisan painter was Traini (fl. 1 321-1344). 
His principal work is in S. Caterina ; in the Museo Civico 
of Pisa there is an interesting collection of early crucifixes, 
and in the Campo Santo an immense series of frescoes of the 
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. 

At Prato, in the Duomo there are Florentine frescoes 
of the same centuries. At S. Gimignano there is much 
Sienese fresco painting, a series by Benozzo Gozzoli and 
some work by Ghirlandajo. 

Two artists of distinct individuality remain to be men- 
tioned : Piero della Francesca (d. 1492), born at Borgo 
S. Sepolcro ; and Luca Signorelli (1441-1523). The most 
important work of the former is at Borgo S. Sepolcro and 
Arezzo, of the latter at Cortona and Oriveto. 



CONTENTS 



PREFACE . . . ... 

INTRODUCTION 

HOW TO USE THESE GUIDE-BOOKS 
I. NORTHERN TUSCANY— 

Massa 

Carrara 

Sarzana 

Pietra Santa 

Camajore 
Pisa . 

S. Pietro in Grado 

Pelaja and Lower Val d'Amo 

Calci and the Certosa 

S. Casciano . 
Lucca 

Bran CO li 

Arliano 

S. Maria del Giudice 
Bagni di Lucca 
Barga 

Gallicano 

PiSTOIA 

Groppoli 
Monte murlo 
Prato 

II. EASTERN TUSCANY— 
Gropina 

Arezzo 

Monte Sansavino 

XV 



XVI 



CONTENTS 



Castiglione Fiorentino 
BoRGO S. Sepolcro . 
The Casentino . 

CORTONA 

III. CENTRAL TUSCANY— 

Empoli 

S. MiNIATO AL TeDESCO 
S. GiMIGNANO 

Siena 

Lecceto 

Ponte alia Spina, Rosia and Torri 

Monte riggioni, Badia ITsola and Staggia 

Monte Oliveto Maggiore 

S. Galgano . 

Asciano 

IV. SOUTHERN TUSCANY 

Chiusi 

Sarteano 
Radicofani 
S. QuiRico d'Orcia 
Pienza 

montepulciano . 
montalcino 
, S. Aantimo 

; Monte Amiata . 

Campiglia d'Orcia 
Abbadia S. Salvatore 
Santa Flora 
Arcidosso 
Valleys of the Albenga and Fiora 
V. WESTERN TUSCANY— 

Volterra ..... 

Massa Marittima . . . 

Grosseto ..... 

INDEX . . . . . . ' . 



401 

415 

424 

431 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

TO FACE PAGE 

Facade of the Church at Troia . . . .18^ 

Christ in Judgment, from the Baptistery, Florence 24 , 

Photograph : Brogi. 

Madonna and Child, by Giovanni Pisano . . 28 / 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Capitals from S. Michele, Pavia . . . • 30 / 

Photograph ; J. W. Cruickshank. 

Pulpit from Gropina . . . . . . 32 / 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Fresco FROM THE Spanish Chapel, Florence . . 38 , 

Photograph : Alinari. 



^, 



" Augusta Perusia," from the Fountain, Perugia . 54 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 

S. Martin and the Beggar, from Lucca . . . 90 1/ 

Photograph : J. \V. Cruickshank. 

Allegory of Life, from the Baptistery, Parma . 92/ 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 

Transmission of Power to the Preacher, Lucca . 104^ 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 



"/ 



Southern Door, S. Michele, Pavia .... 108 ^ 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 

Temptation FROM THE Facade AT Orvieto . . 144, 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Interior OF THE Church AT Gropina . . . 158/'' 

Photograph : Alinari. 

B xvii 



xviii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

TO FACE PAGE 

Madonna and Child, by P. Lorenzetti . . . 176^,, 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Madonna and Child, from the Bargello, Florence 194 / 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Interior of the Church at Romena .... 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Temptations of Antichrist, Luca Signorelli . 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Detail from the Ascension, by Giotto, Padua 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Fresco, attributed to Simone Martini, Assisi 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Facade of the Duomo Orvieto .... 

Photograph : Brogi. 

Detail from the Duomo, Pisa .... 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 

Figure of the *' Church," Fountain, Perugia 

Photograph : J. W. Cruickshank. 

*' Arithmetic," Hall of the Liberal Arts, Vatican 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Detail from the Arena Ch'Apel, Padua, by Giotto . 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Madonna and Child, by Margaritone, Arezzo . 302 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Annunciation, by Piero della Francesca . . 318/ 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Detail from the Last Judgment, by Michelangelo 324/ 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Ecstasy of Sta. Theresa, by Bernini 

Photograph : Anderson. 

Detail from the Campanile, Florence ". . . 346 

Photograph ; Brogi. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xix 

TO FACE PAGE 

Madonna and Child, by Sassetta, Cortona . . 350 ^ 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Tomb of Barbara Manfredi, Forli .... 356^ 

Photograph : Alinari. 

Apse of the Church of S. Antimo .... 386^ 

Photograph : Alinari. 



HQW TO USE THESE GUIDE- 
BOOKS 

^T^HE portions of this book intended to he read at leisure 
at home J before proceeding to explore each town or 
monument, are enclosed in brackets \thus\ The portion 
relating to each principal object should be quietly read and 
digested before a visit, and referred to again afterwards. 
The portion to be read on the spot is made as brief as possible, 
and is printed in large legible type, so as to be easily read 
in the dim light of churches, chapels, and galleries. The 
key-note words are printed in bold type, to catch the eye. 
Where objects are numbered, the numbers used are always 
those of the latest official catalogues. 

Baedeker^s Guides are so printed that each principal 
portion can be detached entire from the volume. The traveller 
who uses Baedeker is advised to carry in his pocket one such 
portion, referring to the place he is then visiting, together 
with the plan of the town, while carrying this book in his 
hand. These guides do not profess to supply practical 
information. 

Individual works of merit are distinguished by an asterisk 
(*); those of very exceptional interest and merit have two 
asterisks. Nothing is noticed in this book which does not 
seem to the writer worthy of attention, for its own sake or for 
comparison with other works of art. 



XX 



I 

NORTHERN TUSCANY 

MASSA 

MASSA is the principal town of the district^ which 
lies between the Apuan Alps and the sea. It is the 
most convenient centre for those who desire to visit the 
country between Pisa (distant about twenty-seven miles)^ 
and Spezzia (distant about twenty miles). There is con- 
nection by steam tram with a small harbour on the coast. 
The castle which overlooks the town is now used as a 
prison. The main feature in the town itself is the palace 
of the Dukes of Massa^ which occupies one side of the 
piazza^ and is now used as the provincial palace. The 
mountain paths w^hich rise directly out of the tow^n lead in 
all directions^ and from many points there are views of the 
mountains^ the Mediterranean^ and a long stretch of coast- 
line. The history of the town^ like that of all its neighbours^ 
is mixed up with the politics of the Bishops of Luni^ the 
Malaspina family^ and the communes of Florence; Pisa^ 
Lucca and Genoa. In 1428^ Antonio Alberico Malaspina^ 
Marquis of Fosdinovo^ took possession of Massa^ Carrara 
and Avenza ; he was dispossessed by Piccinino^ the general 
of the Milanese Visconti^ but in 1441 or 1442 peace was 
made^ and the people of Massa^ it is said;, elected the Marquis 
as their lord. Carrara was added by his son Giacomo, 
who bought the town from the Genoese, Fregosi. The 
nephew of the Marquis Antonio died in 1519^ leaving an 
only daughter^ Riccarda^ who in 1520 married Lorenzo 
CibO; a grandson of Innocent VIII. and of Lorenzo the 
Magnificent; and a nephew of Leo X. One of their sons^ 



2 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Alberico I. (1532-1623)^ began the building of the palace 
in Massa. Five of his male descendants ruled over Massa 
Carrara. Alderano I.^ who died in 1731^ left a daughter^ 
Maria Theresa^ who married Ercole III.^ the last of the 
house of Este ; their daughter married Archduke Ferdinand 
of Austria^ and their son Francis became Duke of Modena 
and Duke of Massa ; his son Francis lost his territories in 
1859. During the Napoleonic period the Princess Eliza 
Baciocchi^ sister of the Emperor^ used the Cibo Malaspina 
palace as a summer residence. She also rebuilt the 
Duomo. 

The history of Massa and the surrounding country^ 
complicated as it is^ does not differ essentially from that 
of many other parts of Italy. Out of the social disintegra- 
tion due to the failure of the Karling Empire^ the Teutonic 
Empire of Otto the Great and his successors re-established 
order by giving form and stability to such power as they 
founds whether to the Bishop (in this case the Bishop of 
Luni)^ or to the head of some Lombard or Frankish family, 
as the Malaspina. The latter, as the most effective and 
almost invariable supporter of the Emperor, obtained great 
power and ruled over wide territory. In the twejfth 
century, as the country became more settled, the towns 
began to grow. Florence, Lucca, Pisa and Siena went to 
war with the surrounding nobles, and in the course of the 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries the Aldobrandeschi, the 
Guidi and a host of smaller nobles were obliged to accept 
citizenship. 

In the latter part of the fourteenth and in the fifteenth 
century the independence of the cities began to crumble 
away under the pressure of the condottieri (whom they 
had used to fight their battles), under the influence of the 
great wealth of some of the principal citizen families, and 
under the pervading authority of the papacy, consolidated 
as it had been by the close of the schism. It was this 
crumbling of the power of the cities that led to the estab- 
lishment of the Malaspina in Massa in 1441. The last of 
the Malaspina married Lorenzo Cibo, and their son, as the 



CARRARA 3 

great-grandson of a Pope^ as a descendant of the Medici 
banker princes^ allied with the family of the great con- 
dottiere Alberigo da Barbariano^ and as a representative 
of the ancient feudal nobility^ stood in some sense for the 
forces which went to the making of the Italian social state 
in the sixteenth century. In the eighteenth century this 
composite force^, the Cibo-Malaspina line^ was allied with 
the last of the house of Este^ and finally all were merged in 
the Hapsburg Duke of Modena^ who was also Duke of 
Massa ; in 1859 his territories reverted to the Italian 
people. 

Carrara 

Carrara is the capital of the trade in marble^ which is 
quarried in the Apuan Alps. The town was given by 
the Emperor Otto I. to the Bishop of Luni. In 1212 
Frederick II. invested the Malaspina with the lordship. 
Early in the fourteenth century Castruccio Castracani 
occupied the country. After his death the Visconti^ the 
della Scala and the Genoese all seem to have been interested 
in the place. Carrara passed at last into the hands of the 
Malaspina by purchase. The town may be reached from 
Avenza by rail or by a very picturesque drive from Massa. 

The building of the Duomo was begun in 1272; ini3io 
Andrea Pisano is said to have been concerned with it. The 
lower part of the western facade is arcaded in the Pisan 
fashion. Note that the arcading is pointed in form ; in 
the centre is a large rose window. The proportions and 
the general appearance are different from those of Sta? 
Caterina of Pisa^ but the mixture of st^des and the design 
of the rose window recall the essential similarity of the 
two buildings. The door in the western facade is Roman- 
esque in style ; the capitals are carved with human figures 
and animals. The work is probably a reconstruction from 
Luni. The door on the southern flank of the building is 
a curious mixture of Romanesque and Renaissance feeling. 
The apse is Romanesque in form^ much of the carvings 



4 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the cornices^ hunting scenes^ eagles with outspread wings ^ 
is said to have come from the Duomo at Luni. 

In the interior the nave arcade rests on five columns ; 
the aisles are vaulted but not groined. The general effect 
owes its character to the Romanesque remains from the 
Duomo at Luni. The capitals are fine examples of carving, 
such as is found in Lombard churches : lions are intermixed 
with foliage, a dog chases a hare ; human forms also occur. 

In the left aisle over the altar nearest the choir there is a 
crucifix from Luni ; at the end of the same aisle, close to 
the entrance, there is an elaborately carved Renaissance 
arch over the altar. 

In the right aisle the altar nearest the choir is that of 
S. Ceccardo, the patron saint of the city. At the end of the 
same aisle, close to the entrance, there are the statues of 
SS. Mary Magdalen and Lucy at the sides of the altar. 

To reach the baptistery, leave the church by a side door 
and cross a narrow lane. 

Within the baptistery, at the back of the altar, there are 
fine coats-of-arms of the cities of Luni and Carrara. On the 
large vessel for water there is a relief of the Baptism of 
Christ (1527). The font is only noticeable for its many 
coloured marbles. Two reliefs, probably of the fifteenth 
century, represent (i) Madonna and Child, and (2) the 
Coronation of the Countess Matilda. There is also an 
Annunciation by a pupil of the Pisan school. The sarco- 
phagus in which the body of S. Ceccardo was laid is also 
preserved here. 

Sarzana 

Sarzana stands near the mouth of the river Magra. 
It is on the border line between Tuscany and Liguria. 
It is the meeting-place of Genoese and Florentine influence. 
[In mediaeval times it was under the rule of the Bishops of 
Luni, Otto I. having given it to Bishop, Adalberto in 963. 
Luni suffered from its position ; it was raided by the 
Saracens, and in 1204 the seat of the Bishop was transferred 



SARZANA 5 

to Sarzana. In 1230 Sarzana was declared an Imperial 
city by Frederick 11.^ and in 131 3 Henry VII. deprived 
the Count Bishop Gherardino Malaspina of his temporal 
jurisdiction. 

In the year 1300^ when Dante was prior in Florence^ 
an attempt was made to lessen the heat of faction by exiling 
the heads of both parties. The whites^ including Guido 
Cavalcanti^ w^ere sent to Sarzana^ where Guido contracted 
fever^ of which he died after his return. The whites were 
released before their opponents^ and although Dante was 
not then prior the transaction is supposed to have made 
him many enemies^ and to have been one of the causes of 
his exile. In 1306, and at Sarzana, there occurred a well- 
attested episode in the poet's life. After he left Florence, 
he was appointed by his host^ Francesco Malaspina of 
Mulazzo (a castle in the Valdi Magra opposite to Filattiera)^ 
to negotiate a treaty with the Bishop. On the 6th October 
1306 peace was made in the piazza at Sarzana, and in the 
afternoon^ at Castelnuovo di Magra^ the Bishop and Dante 
exchanged the kiss of peace. 

The castle^ which overlooks the town^ was built by 
Castruccio Castracani (i 281-1328). Early in the fifteenth 
century the place was in the hands of the Visconti of Milan^ 
and later it was sold to the Florentines. During the in- 
vasion of Charles VIII. in 1494, Piero dei Medici came to 
Sarzana to negotiate with the French^ who were besieging 
the castle. They demanded Sarzana^ Pietra Santa^ Pisa 
and Livorno. Piero ceded what was asked without 
difficulty. On his return to Florence he was obliged to 
fly from the city. The French sold Sarzana to the Genoese. 
A branch of the Buonaparte^ a famil}^ settled in Florence 
in the twelfth century^ came to Sarzana^ and from this 
branch Napoleon Buonaparte was descended.] 

Drive from the railway station^ past the Duomo and S. 
Francesco to the foot of the hill on which Castruccio's 
Castle stands ; from this point follow a picturesque path 
on foot^ cross the moat and ring at the entrance. The 
heavy masses of masonry, the viaduct and the bridges are 



6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

distinctly striking. On entering, climb the staircase to the 
first level from which the central tower rises. Here is the 
mortuary^ from which the dead were lowered one hundred 
and eighty feet. A stair is also supposed to lead to an 
underground passage to the castello in the town below. 
The view is exceedingly fine : to the N. lies the Val di 
Magra^ with the villages of Vezzano, S. Stefano and Fos- 
dinovo ; to the E. hes Castelnuovo di Magra and Ortonovo ; 
to the W. is the Mediterranean ; and to the S. the coast-line 
towards Viareggio. In the central tower of the castle is 
the sala divertimento. In the floor are five openings 
(trabochetti); down which unwelcome or dangerous 
visitors journeyed to a chamber beneath. Under another 
part of the apartment was the torture-chamber. Hooks 
are fixed in the ceiling and there is a large vessel for holding 
boiling oil. A point of view was provided from the sala 
divertimento; from which the treatment of prisoners could 
be observed and regulated. In the upper storey of the 
central tower is the sleeping-room of Castruccio. 

In returning from the castle turn to the r. on reaching 
the road . At a short distance is the Church of S. Francesco. 
The vaulting of the nave is modern^ that of the transept is 
groined ; the choir and side chapels have groined vaulting. 
Over the second altar to the l.^ Madonna and Child; with 
saints of the fifteenth century. In the r. transept; monu- 
ment to a Bishop of the Malaspina family ; in the l. 
transept a monument over the tomb of one of the sons of 
Castruccio Castracani. 

The Duomo of Sarzana was begun in 1204. It was 
enlarged in 1340. In 1474 the Cardinal Filippo Calandrini 
caused the facade to be adorned with marble and with 
statues by Lorenzo di Francesco Riccomanni of Pietra 
Santa. In 1694 chapels were added. The marble for the 
fagade is said to have been obtained from the ancient 
amphitheatre of Luni. 

Within the church the nave arcade has three wide- 
spreading arches. The nave and aisles have wooden roofs. 
In the chapel to the l. of the choir there is an ancient 



SARZANA 7 

crucifix ascribed to the year ii 38. The head is erect^ the 
eyes are open^ the expression is bland and painless. Be- 
neath the arm of the cross to the R. stand the Virgin and 
one of the Maries ; below^ at the side^, the Kiss of Judas^ 
the Flagellation^ the Maries at the Sepulchre ; under the l. 
arm of the cross^ S. John and one of the Maries ; beneath^ 
the Meeting of Christ with His Mother^ the Deposition and 
the Burial. 

In the L. transept there is a large sculptured altar-piece^ 
made in honour of Thomas of Sarzana (Pope Nicholas V.)^ 
by Leonardo Riccomanni and his nephew Francesco^ 
the great-uncle and father of the Lorenzo who worked on 
the facade. This altar-piece and a similar one in the r. 
transept were ordered by the Cardinal Filippo Calandrini, 
half-brother of Nicholas V. 

In the central panel of the altar-piece in honour of the 
Pope^ is the Coronation of the Virgin ; to the r.^ SS. Andrew 
and Paul; to the l., SS. Peter and John the Evangelist. 
Above is the Crucifixion^ and at the top of the monument 
the Father Eternal. In the predella^ the Pieta and the 
Four Evangelists. The monument is in the pointed style^ 
and highly ornate^ but flat and uninteresting. In the 
L. transept there is also a glazed terra-cotta relief of 
S. Jerome kneeling before the crucifix. 

In the R. transept is the second altar-piece commissioned 
by the Cardinal Calandrini : the authorship is uncertain. 
The style shows a mixture of pointed and Renaissance forms ; 
the artist seems to have found his work more congenial 
than the sculptor in the l. transept. In the central panel 
is the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. To the l., 
SS. Peter^ another apostle and James as a bishop ; to the r. 
SS. John Baptist^ Paul and Andrew. Above^ the Agony 
in the Garden^ the Flagellation^ and the Crucifixion. In 
the highest part of the monument the Father Eternal and 
the x\nnunciation. In the predella the Crucifixion of 
S. Peter^ the death of the Virgin^ the beheading of S. John 
the Baptist. 



8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

PiETRA Santa 

[Pietra Santa^ the principal town of the VersiHa Marina^ 
was originally held by certain nobles^ feudatories of the 
Bishop of Lucca. Under these lords the citizens enjoyed 
considerable independence^ electing their own consuls. 

In 1 1 68^ during the war between Lucca and Pisa^ Veltro 
di Corvaja^ Lord of Pietra Santa^ together with other 
nobles of the Versilia and Garfagnana^ rebelled against 
Lucca, to whom they had sworn fidelity, and the town was 
besieged and taken by the Lucchese. The Visconti of 
Corvaja, however, continued to make this town their 
principal seat. Li 1312, with the coming of Henry VII. 
into Italy, the Pisans, led by Uguccione della Faggiuola, 
made themselves masters of the Versilia and of the town. 
Within four years it was taken from them by Castruccio, 
who had married a noble lady, Pina, daughter of the Lord 
of Monteggioni in the Versilia. 

During the next eighty years, the citizens were alter- 
nately subject to Lucca, Pisa, and to Lucca again. In 1437, 
after the death of Paolo Guinigi, it was sold by the Lucchese 
to the Genoese. From them it was taken by the Florentines 
and ceded by Piero dei Medici to Charles VIIL, finally 
passing again into the hands of the Florentines in 1513.] 

From the railway station the town is entered by an 
archway in a picturesque castellated building. On the 
wall is a bust of Giordano Bruno, recently placed there by 
the friends of Liberty in Pietra Santa. 

In the piazza stands the CoUegiata of S. Martino, on a 
broad platform with an unfinished campanile built in the 
sixteenth century. The building of the church dates 
from the fourteenth century, but it was restored in the 
nineteenth, when the present cupola replaced an earlier 
structure. The fa9ade is of white marble ; there is a rose 
window of 1474. Over the doors, sculptures of the 
Crucifixion, Deposition and Resurrection. In the interior 
most of the ornament is due to Stagio Stagi (1504), a native 



PIETRA SANTA 9 

of Pietra Santa. He made the pulpit out of a single block 
of marble^ also the holy water fonts^ the candelabra in the 
choir^ and shared with his father in the work of carving 
the choir seats. At the entrance to the choir are two 
decorated capitals by Niccolo^ the son of Matteo Civitali 
of Lucca. 

In the sacristy is a statue of Madonna in the Pisan 
manner, of extraordinary charm. The features are strong 
and vigorous^ bespeaking no complexities of feeling or 
ideas^ only a nature well balanced and at peace within the 
limits of a simple life. The altar-piece is a damaged picture 
of Madonna and Child^ painted in rich colours on a gold 
background. 

The Baptistery is reached from a door in the r. transept. 
The baptismal font by Donato Benti has sculptures of the 
Seven Virtues (1389). 

Near the Duomo and at right angles to it^ is S. Agostino^ 
a large aisleless building with a wooden roof. The high 
altar is richly inlaid with marbles of various colours. To 
the right and left of the altar are marble tomb slabs. 

In the upper part of the piazza is the column of Liberty ;, 
with a lion on the top^ erected in 1513, when Pietra Santa 
became part of the Florentine state. The piazza ends at 
the foot of the hill, on which may be seen the ruins of 
the ancient Rocca^ formerly the seat of the Visconti of 
Corvaja^ embellished by Paolo Guinigi;, Lord of Lucca, 
in the fifteenth century ;, and frequently inhabited by 
Cosimo I. 

On one of the houses in the piazza beside the clock 
tower is an inscription stating that in 15 18 Michelangelo 
here drew out a contract for the making of the facade of 
S. Lorenzo in Florence by commission of Pope Leo X. 

Two families of marble workers and sculptors have be- 
longed to Pietra Santa. The family of Riccomanni pro- 
duced four generations of sculptors in the fifteenth and 
early sixteenth centuries. Some of their work exists at 
Sarzana. In the family of the Stagi there was a succession 
of sculptors between the years 1455 ^^^ 1661. Stagio 



lo THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Stagi went to Pisa about the year 1522 and spent forty 
years on the marble work of the interior of the Duomo. 



Camajore 

Camajore may be reached by a tramway from Viareggio^ 
or by a pleasant drive from Massa in a couple of hours^ or 
in about an hour from Pietra Santa. 

The piazza is entered through a castellated gateway^ all 
that remains of the mediaeval fortifications. The Collegiata 
of Sta. Maria Assunta was built in 1278. It has^ however^ 
been restored in an uninteresting manner. Over the door is 
the sacred monogram given to the citizens by S. Bernardino 
of Siena^ with the promise that its due veneration would 
S. protect against plague. 

To the right of the main street is the small Church of 
S. Michele^ said to date from the eleventh century. 

Following the street to the east end of the town^ and 
turning to the left brings the visitor in a few minutes to the 
Badia^ a Benedictine church supposed to date from the 
eighth century. The abbey was destroyed in 140O;. but 
the churchy although recently restored^ retains its original 
character. The little piazza is entered through a fxue 
gateway. 

To the right of the church is a pretty cloister. The 
campanile is modern. The general effect of the interior 
is very good. The masonry is of fine quality ; the forms 
are simple and the design spacious. The round arches of 
the nave arcade rest on five piers : nave and aisles are 
covered with wooden roofs. Over the altar is a picture in 
five compartments^ Madonna and Child with saints^ on a 
gold background set in a pointed design. 

Camajore (Campo Maggiore) became subject to the 
Lucchese at an early date^ and was surrounded by fortified 
walls in 1374. A triumphal arch in the town records the 
long and faithful adherence of Camajore to Lucca^ and how 
the citizens in 153 1 freed the Anziani^ when besieged in the 
palace by certain rebels. 



PISA II 

Two miles to the east^ reached by a charming country 
road, hes the hamlet and church known as the Pieve. 
It stands on high ground and commands a magnificent 
view of the valleV; of the southern peaks of the Apuan 
Alps, and of the lower hills in all directions, with picturesque 
villages crowning the steepest heights. Inside the church 
is a Roman sarcophagus which serves as a font. To the l. 
of the choir is a triptych, Virgin and Child, with SS. John, 
Anthony the Abbot, Augustine and a young martyr. The 
picture is signed : ^^ Batista de Pisis, 1408." 



PISA 

[Pisa stands on the site of an Etruscan city, and tradition- 
ally its origin is of a remoter date. Owing to its position on 
the Ligurian frontier, the town became an important ally 
of the Romans during their wars with the Ligurians, and 
was made a Roman colony in 180 B.C. Many of the 
mediaeval churches are built on the foundation of Roman 
temples. In the Campo Santo there are sarcophagi, 
fragments of statues, capitals and many inscriptions of the 
Roman period. 

From the earliest times, the Pisans made their living by 
the sea. There is no record of a magistracy of consuls 
before 1033 ; but at the beginning of the eleventh century 
the citizens were acting independently, making war and 
peace on their own account. Their energy was chiefly 
directed towards checking the spread of the Saracen 
dominion northwards. Together with the Genoese, they 
drove out the Moslems from Corsica and Sardinia in 1004, 
bringing back much booty, including relics, the body of 
Sta. Restituita from Corsica, and the bodies of the saints 
Ephesus and Potitus (afterwards made the patrons of the 
city), from Sardinia. 

In 1063 the Pisans fought their way into the port of 
Palermo, burned the Saracen fleet and carried off the 
chains of the port, together with six shiploads of booty. 



12 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

This deed is commemorated in a tablet on the fagade of the 
Duomo^ as a large part of the spoils was devoted to the 
foundation of the building. 

The Pisans took an active share in the First Crusade. 
A Pisan is said to have been the first to scale the walls of 
Jerusalem. As he stood there^ the crucifix on the top 
of his standard turned towards him^ saying: ''On^ 
Christian conquerors ! " 

In memory of this miracle the Pisan clergy have the 
privilege of carrying the crucifix in procession with the 
face towards them. 

The art current in Pisa in the twelfth century gives 
evidence of the close connection with the East^ and of the 
diverse interest of the citizens. 

Within the city itself^ during the eleventh^ twelfth and 
thirteenth centuries^ there was the same ill-assorted com- 
munity of feudal barons^, burghers and S^rtisans as in the 
other Tuscan free towns. There were fortified houses^ 
with the usual towers of defence in the streets^ and as 
early as 1090 the Bishop tried to persuade the nobles to fix 
a height for the tower to which all must conform. 

In her efforts towards expansion of dominion by the 
conquest of the neighbouring feudal lords^ Pisa came into 
conflict with Lucca (i 104-1 1 10)^ and by maritime adventure 
with Genoa (i 11 6-1 130). These wars were in the main 
advantageous to the Pisans. 

Among the feudal counts of the neighbourhood^ the 
most distinguished was the family of the Gherardeschi^ 
counts of Donoratico and holders of large fiefs in the mar- 
emma of Pisa^ and Volterra. During the twelfth century^ 
the commune of Pisa apparently possessed some form of 
authority over these lords. They were obliged to build 
palaces in the city ; members of the family became 
captains of the Pisan fleet^, judges of Cagliari^ and at a 
later time podestas of Pisa. 

The Pisan nobles living in the conquered islands of the 
Mediterranean adopted the habits of independent princes ; 
and the Pisan merchants^ to be found on the coasts of 



PISA 13 

Africa^ France^ Spain^ and in the Eastern ports^ turned 
from merchants into soldiers at will. 

In 1 1 35 the Pisans attacked the Normans and made 
themselves masters of Amalfi, from whence they carried 
off^ with other booty^ the celebrated Pandects of Justinian^ 
now in the Laurentian Library^ Florence. 

During the thirteenth century^ in the fierce struggle be- 
tween the Ghibelline supporters of the Emperor Frederick II. 
and the Guelph League of Allied Free Towns^ Pisa sup- 
ported the cause of the Emperor^ and was thus brought 
into conflict with Florence. There were reverses and 
successes more or less indecisive^ but at the time of the 
battle of Monteaperto^ in 1260^ the Republic of Pisa had 
reached its highest point of wealth and power. It was 
just at this period that Niccolo Pisano was working at the 
baptistery. 

The first great blow to the Republic was the defeat of the 
Pisan fleet by the Genoese at the battle of Meloria in 1284. 
As the Bishop was pronouncing the blessing upon the fleet 
before it set out^ a crucifix fell from the standard of one of 
the ships ; and this was held to be a great omen of disaster^ 
although one of the crowd shouted : '' Let God be with the 
Genoese^ if the wind be with us.'' The defeat was mainly 
due to the treachery of one of the captains^ Ugolino Gherar- 
desca^ who^ judging that victory would be with the enemy^ 
withdrew his thirty-six galleys and returned to Pisa. The 
number of prisoners taken by the Genoese was so large 
that the saying became current : " Chi vuol' veder Pisa^ 
vada a Geneva." During the dissensions w^hich followed 
the disaster^ Ugolino managed to make himself supreme 
governor. It had been arranged by treaty with Genoa 
that the prisoners should be released in exchange for 
certain Pisan castles. The prisoners^ however^ refused to 
receive freedom at such a price^ and to suit his own purpose 
Ugolino delayed the payment of their ransom^ until popular 
indignation was aroused. 

He was also accused of a treasonable attempt to sell 
Sardinia^ and the party of his enemies having risen to 



14 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

power^ he and several sons and nephews were imprisoned 
in the Gualandi Tower in the piazza^ .and the key was 
thrown into the river. 

A brief spell of successful self-government and reconquest 
of territory was followed by a period of subjection under 
the rule of Uguccione della Faggiuola^ commander of the 
Imperial forces^ in 1313^ and an able adherent of the 
Ghibelline party. He was master also of Lucca ; but his 
tyrannical rule made him unpopular in both cities. While 
absent in Lucca^ quelling rebellion^ his enemies in Pisa 
let loose a bull in the streets as a signal of revolt^ and 
Uguccione was forced to take refuge at Verona. 

In 1323 a second blow fell upon the Republic. The 
fleet was defeated by Alfonso of Aragon^ and Sardinia^ the 
most important of her commercial colonies^ was lost to 
Pisa. 

The opposing factions in the city during the fourteenth 
century were known as the Bergolini^, the party- of the 
nobles^ led by the Gambacorti^ and the Raspanti^ the lesser 
burghers^ led by the Gherardeschi. Under the Gambacorti 
the city enjoyed a period of peaceful and orderly rule 
from 1369 to 1392. 

The desire for self-government^ however^ had apparently 
died out of the citizens. In 1398^ when the Signoria was 
sold by one of the Gambacorti followers to Gian Galeazzo 
Visconti^ there was no attempt at resistance. 

For more than a century Florence had been the most 
persistent of all the enemies of Pisa. She had attacked 
the Republic in the past as a stronghold of Ghibellinism ; 
now she attacked it for having given the Visconti a new 
foothold in Tuscany. Pisan patriotism awoke at the sight 
of the Florentine forces^ and the town was only taken at 
the end of a long siege in 1406. During the siege the 
Florentines behaved with peculiar barbarity towards the 
unhappy women and children turned out as " useless 
mouths " ; they were branded on the face with the giglio; 
and sent back to die under the city walls. 

The prosperity of the Pisans rapidly declined under the 



PISA 15 

self-interested rule of the Florentines^ and for about eighty 
years Pisa gave little sign of life. It was during this 
period that Benozzo Gozzoli the Florentine was engaged 
to paint in the Campo Santo. 

On the arrival of the King of France^ Charles VIII. ^ in 
Italy^ in 1494^ the Pisans; trusting that he would restore 
their freedom, welcomed him w^ith joy, and overturned 
the Florentine Marzocco into the Arno. Charles at first 
was willing to assist in the defence of the city with his own 
troops ; but after having entered into alliance with 
Florence he withdrew all help. For the space of fourteen 
years (1495-1509) the Pisans made a heroic struggle for 
independence. Three times the city was besieged, and it 
was only when the enemy attempted to turn the course of 
the Arno that the citizens, wasted by famine and suffering, 
were forced to capitulate. An immense number of the 
people left their homes and settled in Venice, Genoa, Naples 
and Palermo. 

Under the Medici Grand Dukes and the house of 
Lorraine the fortunes of the city improved. The uni- 
versity was enlarged and endowed (1543); the Knightly 
Order of St Stephen was estabhshed in 1561, and under 
Ferdinand I. a good supply of water was procured, and 
a canal made to connect Pisa more closely with the port 
of Livorno.] 

The Piazza del Duomo, the centre of interest in Pisa, 
lies withdrawn from the bustle of the streets and the com- 
mercial part of the town. The Duomo, Baptistery and 
Campanile are spaciously set in an open field, and the sur- 
rounding buildings, sufficiently distant, in no way inter- 
fere with the magnificent isolation and the harmonious 
aspect of the three great buildings. To the north are the 
old town walls adjoining the line of the Campo Santo. 
Farther on is the house of the Opera del Duomo. To the 
south-east lies the Palazzo Arcivescovile, and to the south- 
west the great Hospital of Sta. Chiara, founded in 1258. 

As one enters the piazza the mind receives an unex- 
pected impression of beauty never to be forgotten. The 



i6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

massive buildings of simple outline are covered with white 
marble^ weathered to all shades of yellow and grey^ and 
richly ornamented with mosaic and carving ; the effect of 
the whole is at once stately and debonair. 



The Duomo 

[The Duomo was built on the site of a previous Church of 
Sta. Reparata^ and in Roman times a palace of the Emperor 
Hadrian stood in this place. The Pisans were prompted to 
build the new churchy by the value of the treasure which 
they seized in an attack made on Palermo on the 6th August 
1063. They carried off the chains which closed the harbour^ 
and took five or six ships ; but they did not take the town. 

The foundation-stone is said to have been laid in 1063^ 
but if the treasure taken on the 6th August was the motive 
for the building it is not probable that much was done in 
that year. Two persons,, Buschetto and Rainaldo^ have 
been associated with the building, and various opinions 
have been held as to their functions and relationship. 
It has been supposed that Buschetto was the designer ; 
others have regarded him as a non-professional chairman of 
committee of the works. Rainaldo has been supposed to 
have been master of the works. Such a one was employed in 
1264, but unless two men of the same name were engaged, 
the only connection between Buschetto and Rainaldo 
could have been that of forerunner and a somewhat distant 
successor. The church was consecrated by Pope Gelasius 
II. in 1 1 18; it has, however, been confidently affirmed 
that little or nothing now remains of this church, and that 
in particular the facade probably dates from about 1250. 

It is seldom that so little is definitely known of such an 
important building ; but until further discoveries are made 
we must rest content, and accept it as a complete and 
satisfactory model of the Pisan style. It represents the 
most ordered form of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany. 
The style is mature and complete, the vigour of those who 



PISA 17 

strive is replaced by the graciousness of those who have 
achieved. There is an impersonal quality in the design 
which implies the synthesis of many different tendencies ; 
and although these crop out here and there in a string 
course^ or in some carved detail^ the general effect depends 
on ripeness of judgment rather than on originality. The 
charm lies in the refined imagination which has fused so 
much human nature and so much history into a harmoni- 
ous whole. The Duomo of Pisa is no palace of a great 
hierarchy^ like S. Peter's in Rome ; it has none of the 
mystical luxury of S. Marco at Venice ; it has none of the 
studied complexity of the Duomo at Milan. It is rather a 
dwelling-place of the human soul^ planned by a lucid mind 
with some universality of understanding and a quiet 
gaiety of spirit. If we compare the interiors of the duomos 
of Pisa and Siena^ the general atmosphere in both is that 
of the Romanesque school. At Pisa this is tempered by 
a strong classical feeling, the tradition of the basilica is 
still present, at Siena the method is essentially that of 
the arch.] 

The Exterior. The crossing of the transept is covered 
by an elliptical dome surrounded by an arcade of weak 
pointed detail. The dome itself is not large enough to 
take its proper place in the general mass of the buildings 
nor does it form a serious element in the general effect of the 
interior. 

The exterior of the church is covered with arcading of 
one design or another. On the western fagade there are 
five stages. The lowest is rather more than twice the 
height of those above. It is divided into seven archways^ 
three of which are occupied by doors. The arches rest 
on columns with composite capitals^ showing mixed in- 
fluences of Corinthian and Ionic forms and Corinthian with 
Romanesque detail. Under the arches are circles or lozenge- 
shaped coffers filled with marble mosaic. The columns 
at the side of the centre door are richly carved with formal 
foliage^ and above the capitals are lions of savage aspect. 
The arcades of the four higher stages of the fa9ade form 



i8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

open galleries. The seven arcades of the first order 
become nineteen in the second^, while the spaces in the 
fourth and fifth are eight in number. The columns are of 
various material. The capitals are not quite uniform^ but 
there is none of the picturesque variety found at S. Martino 
in Lucca. The spandrils of the arches are filled with 
delicate marble mosaic. The string course above the 
second order is carved with a vigorous Romanesque design^ 
and other examples of the same style will be found in 
various parts of the church. 

The charm of the facade is enhanced by gradations of 
colour^ the wall being for the most part of warm yellow 
marble against which the various colours of the pillars are 
harmonised with subtle radiance. 

The mosaics in the tympana of the western doors are 
modern. Over the door to the l. is the seated figure of 
Sta. Reparata. Over the central door^ Madonna in a 
mandorla is supported by Angels. Over the door^ to the 
R.. Christ is enthroned with the cross of the Resurrection in 
his hand . Under the first arcade to the left is the sepulchral 
stone commemorating Buschetto. Near by is another 
sepulchral stone of the Queen of Majorca^ whose kingdom^ 
the Balearic Isles^ was conquered by the Pisans in 1117. 
An inscription between the left and the central doors 
tells of three expeditions made by the Pisans against 
the Saracens in 1005^ 1015^ and 1033. On the right side 
of the central door is another rhyming inscription relating 
the victory of 1063^ when the Pisans captured ships in 
the harbour of Palermo and carried off the chains that 
closed the port. » 

On the wall^ to the left of the arches over the central door^ 
is an inscription in honour of Rainaldo^ and beneath is an 
inlaid design of a man holding a cross placed between two 
unicorns. The words inscribed are from the twenty-second 
verse of the twenty-second Psalm^ in the Vulgate trans- 
lation : " De ore leonis/' etc. (Deliver me^ Lord^ from 
the lion's mouth and my humility from the unicorn). The 
Hon and the unicorn in this relation signify the evil and the 



PISA 19 

proud, who strive to corrupt the good . In some illuminated 
Psalters Christ is pictured on the cross with a lion on one 
side and a unicorn that pierces his side on the other. On 
the R. of the central door is another similar design of a lion 
and a dragon confronting, with a tree between. These 
three symbols were often used in Romanesque sculpture. 
They probably represent the tree of life, with the dragon as 
the principle of evil and the lion as the principle of good. 

On the summit of the fagade, Madonna and Child by 
Nino Pisano. 

The three doors of the west fa9ade are the work of 
Giovanni da Bologna and his pupils, in 1602, replacing the 
first doors destroyed by the fire of 1596. They may be 
described as clever sketches in bronze. 

The subject of the central door is the life of the Virgin ; 
of the side doors, the life of Christ. Each scene is accom- 
panied by two symbolical emblems, with their description 
in Latin. It is interesting to compare this late Renaissance 
symbolism with the early mediaeval symbolism such as we 
find in Romanesque work. Many of the emblems here 
used for the Virgin will be found in S. Bonaventura's 
writings in praise of Mary ; and in the ^^ Mirror of Human 
Salvation." Amongst those relating to Christ several are 
derived from the Divine Bestiary. 

Beginning with the central door, lowest panel to the 
left, and following on with the corresponding panels on the 
right : — 

(i) Left, Birth of the Virgin. Symbols. ^^ Foetenti e 
cespite " (the budding rod of Aaron). ^'Hortus Conclusus" 
(the enclosed garden of Solomon). 

(i) Right. Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple. 
Emblem. ^^ Eons signatus " (the sealed Eountain of 
Paradise). ^^ Imbres eifugio " (the dove on the clouds). 

(2) Left, Marriage of the Virgin. ^' Tantummodo fulci- 
mentum " (the self-sustaining oak). 

(2) Right. The Annunciation. '' Rore coelesti foe- 
cundor " (refers to the legend that the oyster fertilised 
by the dew produced the pearl). 



20 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(3) Left, The Visitation. '^ Onustior^ humilior " (a 
ship heavily laden^ signifying that the more grace which 
Mary received^ the more humble she became). " Non 
aperietur " (refers to the Temple of Solomon). 

. (3) Right. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. 
^^ Clementiae signum " (the dove bringing the olive). 
*' Vertor ut vertitus " (the heliotrope which turns with the 
sun ; Mary turning to the Sun of Righteousness). 

(4) Left. The Assumption of the Virgin. '' Summa 
petit " (a flame mounting to the skies). 

(4) Right. The Coronation of the Virgin. " Frangit 
coronat " (the pomegranate). 

In the angles^ to the right and left^ two sundials^ '^ Latet 
virtus"; in the middle^ tv/o burning torches^, " Flamma 
innotescunt." (Both relate to the clear actions of the wise 
man). 

The tortoises^ " Tarde sed tuto/' and J the dogs^ 
" Securus accedo/' are emblems of prudence and courage. 

• Doors to the Right : 

(r) Left. The Nativity. The rising sun driving away 
the clouds. '^ Umbras." 

(i) Right. Visit of the Magi. ^' Flectentes adorant " 
(flowers bowing before the sun). 

(2) Left. The Temptation. '* Nullum vestigium." 
(The serpent leaves no trace upon the rock^ so the devil 
left no trace upon Christ the Rock.) 

' (2) Right. The Baptism. '^ Sic unda salubris." (The 
unicorn washes its horn in the fountain.) 

(3) Left. The Raising of Lazarus. " Vivicat rugitu." 
(The lion raises his dead cubs by the sound of his roaring.) 

(3) Right. The entry into Jerusalem. '^ Feror ut 
frangar." (The eagle drops the turtle from a height^ to 
break its shell.) An allusion to the humanity of Christ 
broken in the Passion. There are also the figures of an eagle 
holding up its young one to the sun^ and a pelican piercing 
its breast to feed its youngs, both emblematic of Christ. 



PISA 21 

The figures of the tortoise and the dog are repeated as 
on the central door. 



Doors to the Left : 

(i) Left, The Agony in the Garden. '' Emittit sponte " 
(the tree which distils resin). The significance is, that 
Christ submitted by his own will. 

(i) Right. The Betrayal. '' Cingit non stringit " (a 
tree encircled by ivy). 

(2) Left, The Crowning with Thorns. '^ Illaesus." (The 
word is applied to the flower rising out of briars.) 

(2) Right. The Flagellation. '' Non frangor." (An 
anvil and two hammers laid upon it symbolises the un- 
breakable divinity of Christ.) 

(3) Left. The Bearing of the Cross. '' Bustumque, 
partumque." (The phoenix which prepares its own pyre, 
and is reborn from the ashes.) 

(3) Right. The Crucifixion. ^^ Ut luceat omnibus " 
(the lighted candle which enlightens the world). The 
ox, above, on each side of the door, relates to the expiatory 
sacrifice of the Old Law. 

The arcading of the flanks of the nave is in three orders : 
the lower consists of fiat pilasters from which spring arches 
with coffered ornament ; the second order is formed of 
fiat pilasters with lintels ; the third of arch and column. 

The fagade of the southern transept is a remarkable 
instance of the fine effect obtained by variety of form, of 
colour, and proportion in which nothing exceeds and 
nothing falls short. The treatment of the apse is even 
more striking. Of the three orders the lower is formed of 
magnificent pillars with arches enclosing the usual coffered 
ornament. The blank windows under three of the arches 
are classical in detail. The second order has twice the 
number of arches and about half the height, and it forms an 
open gallery. The third order is constructed with post 
and lintel. It has the same number of spaces as the second, 
and less than half the height. The capitals are of the Ionic 



22 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

type^ while those of the lower orders are treated with 
foliage. The variety of colour^ the delicacy of the decora- 
tive detail^ the subtle feeling for proportion make this part 
of the building worthy of close attention. Everything is 
in the finest adjustment. 

The Porta S. Ranieri in the southern transept (the door 
of admission to the Duomo) has a finely carved double 
lintel^ with leafage and flower ornaments^ and a running 
scroll which encircles symbolical animals such as the stag 
and the dragon. Above the lintel is a group of statues^ 
Madonna and Child and two angels. 

On the wall^ to the r.^ is a seated figure of King David 
playing the harp^ under a niche. Before the fire of 1596 this 
statue was placed over the western door. David was 
regarded as a type of Christ and^ as such, occurs frequently 
in the '' Mirror of Human wSalvation." He was also a 
prophet;, and foretold the Resurrection. (^' Thou wilt 
not leave my soul in hell." — Psalm xvi. 10.) And in 
his prophetical character he is generally represented as 
a minstrel. 

At the sides of the statues are two reliefs with ships 
approaching the Port of Pisa. If these were also originally 
on the western fagade they would be a gloss on the in- 
scriptions commemorating the naval victories. 

The bronze doors are the work of Bonannus, who in 11 86 
made similar doors for the church of Monreale near Palermo. 
The scenes from the life of Christ run consecutively across 
the two leaves of the door^ but as they are always seen 
divided we take them separately. 

Left Door. Begin at the bottom. A row of six prophets 
with palm-trees between the figures. 

Annunciation and Salutation. The pose of the angel 
is free^ and the sensation of arrested motion is finely 
rendered. Presentation and Flight into Egypt. The 
Temptation and the Transfiguration. The Washing of 
the Feet^ and the Last Supper. The Descent into Hades^, 
and the Maries at the tomb. At the top/Christ enthroned 
and giving the blessing. 



PISA 23 

Right Door. At the bottom^ six prophets^ with palm- 
trees between. Above^ the Nativity^ and the Visit of 
the Magi. 

The Massacre of the Innocents^, and the Baptism. 
Notice that the women are dressed in a naturahstic fashion^ 
and not clothed in drapery in the classical style. Their 
hair is plaited and not represented by parallel lines in 
the Romanesque fashion. The Raising of Lazarus^ and 
the Entry into Jerusalem. The Kiss of Judas^ and the 
Crucifixion. The Ascension and the Death of the Virgin. 
At the top^ Madonna in glory. 

These small reliefs are models of compendious narrative. 
The sculptor has thought out the essential point and 
limited himself to it. The scenes are not overcrowded. 
The work is more nearly allied to the Byzantine habit^ by 
reason of its harmonious and well-ordered plan^ than it is 
to the rude native manner. 

There are indications^ however^ that Bonannus was not 
simply a copyist ; the drapery^ for instance^ does not show 
the usual Byzantine peculiarities but falls in regular folds. 
The nimbus is not used. 

■^Interior. The most characteristic view of the interior 
is to be had from the western end of the church. The fine 
colonnade of the nave is second only in magnificence to that 
of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome. The mind of the spectator 
at once turns to the idea of the classical basilica ; but in 
addition to the nave there is also a transept more finely 
developed than is usual in Italian churches^ and denoting 
northern influence^ perhaps that of Bishop Guido^ a Pavian 
who ruled the Pisan diocese from 1061 to 1076. The meet- 
ing of the classical idea with the more distinctively ecclesi- 
astical cruciform ground plan does not interfere with the 
general harmony of the building. 

It has been usual to assume that the nave columns were 
part of the booty won at Palermo in 1063^ but this is 
hardly likely as the town was not taken and the prize seems 
to have consisted in shipping. It is significant that in 
1604 columns of granite were brought from the islands of 



24 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Elba and del Giglio^ to replace the damage done by the 
fire in 1595. 

The Duomo differs from most of the Pisan and Lucchese 
churches in having galleries over the aisles and a triforium. 
The latter is formed of square piers from which spring 
round arches enclosing two smaller ones divided by a 
central column. 

There are two aisles on each side of the nave, divided 
by columns from which stilted and pointed arches carry 
the groining. The nave has a flat wooden roof richly 
decorated. 

Begin the examination of the monuments at the entrance 
door in the southern transept, and turn to the r. Altar, 
begun by the Florentine sculptor Fancelli and finished in 
1528 by Stagiy a sculptor of Pietra Santa. The statue of 
S. Biagio over the altar, a study of emotional feeling, is 
ascribed to Tribolo, 

Nearly opposite is the holy water font with a statuette of 
Madonna and Child. 

Pass into the Choir. To the r. is a carved throne by 
Cervellesi (1536), and behind pictures of SS. Margaret and 
Catherine by Andrea del Sarto. Near by is a porphyry 
column with a capital carved by Siagi. The vase was a 
trophy of the first crusade, brought from Jerusalem. Let 
into the wall above are carved panels from dismantled 
pulpits. 

1. The Flight into Egypt from the pulpit of S. Michele 
in Borgo. 

2. Punishment of the damned, by Giovanni Pisano, from 
the old pulpit of the Duomo. 

3. Adoration of the Magi, from the pulpit of S. Michele 
in Borgo. 

The High Altar occupied the sculptor Stagi from 1545 
to 1563. It has since been reconstructed. The bronze 
crucifix is by Giovanni da Bologna, 

On the left side of the Choir there is another carved 
throne with pictures of SS. John and Peter by Andrea 
del Sarto, 




Photograph : Brogi 

CHRIST IX JUDGMENT 

(From the Roof of The Baptistery, Florence) 

Compare with the Mosaic in the Apse of the Duomo at Pisa 



PISA 25 

Panels on the wall above. 

4. Nativity of Christy from the pulpit of S. Michele in 
Borgo. 

5. Nativity of S. John the Baptist^ the Annunciation^ 
and Visitation^ by Giovanni Pisano, from the old pulpit 
of the Duomo. 

6. Presentation in the Temple from S. Michele in Borgo. 
The iconography of the Choir is interesting. The mosaic 

of the semi-dome is the striking note. The Maesta was 
begun by a certain Francesco in 1301 ; in the same year 
Cimahue was employed^ and in the following year he re- 
ceived a payment for work done. He^ however^ did not 
finish the mosaic^ which was completed by Vincino of 
Pistoia or Pisa about twenty years later^ to whom the 
figure of the Virgin is attributed. 

The Christ is of the ascetic type^ bearded^ with furrowed 
brow^ large round eyes and hollow cheeks. The right hand 
is raised in blessings the left holds the book on which 
appears the legend^ " Ego sum lux mundi." 

The heavily cushioned throne is in the style common 
in thirteenth-century Italian pictures and miniatures ; at 
the sides are lions^ and below^ animals^ probably intended 
to stand for the asp and the basilisk. As a whole the mosaic 
represents fairly the Italo-Byzantine style of the thirteenth 
century. It would be difficult to find any trace of the 
motives that stirred Niccolo Pisano forty years earlier^ 
still less the impulse that was transforming Italian painting 
in the hands of Pietro Cavallini and Giotto. 

Beneath the mosaic there are three tiers of pictures. 
Begin with the lowest to the left hand : SS. John and 
Luke^ by the Sienese painter Beccafumi \ the Fall of Man ; 
Sacrifice of Isaac^ by Bazzi (1541) ; Sacrifice of Noah ; 
Sacrifice of Abel. In the centre^ the Entombment of 
Christy by Bazzi (1542); Sacrifice of Cain; Punishment 
of the Sons of Aaron ; Moses throws down the Tables of 
the Law^ by Beccafumi ; the Worship of the Golden Calf^ 
by Beccafumi \ SS. Mark and Matthew^ by Beccafumi. 

Second tier^ beginning to the left : Habakkuk brings 



26 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Food to Daniel in the Lions' Den ; the Multiplication of 
Loaves ; the Brazen Serpent ; Moses striking the Rock ; 
Moses before the Burning Bush ; Elijah fed in the Wilder- 
ness. 

Upper tier : the Priests before Joshua ; Judith with the 
Head of Holofernes ; the Supper at Cana ; the Feast of 
Ahasuerus ; Samson slaying the Philistines ; Abraham 
entertains the Three Angels. 

On the under side of the arch over the Choir^ groups of 
angels by Dom Ghirlandajo, 

On the walls of the Choir^ above the triforium^ to the l.^ 
Nativity of the Virgin ; Presentation of the Virgin ; the 
Sposalizio. Above the mosaic^ the Annunciation. Above 
the triforium^ to the r.^ the Visitation ; the Circumcision ; 
the Flight into Egypt. 

In passing out of the Choir into the northern transept 
to the R. note the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament^ v/ith 
elaborate decoration^ the gift of Cosimo IIL Over the 
entrance door to one of the sacristies is a cast of the 
Resurrection of the Blessed^ from Giovanni Pisano's 
pulpit^ now in the Museo Civico. 

In the semi-dome of the northern transept^ mosaic of the 
Annunciation by Gaddo Gaddi. Behind the altar^ reliefs of 
Adam and Eve^ with Madonna and the Angel Gabriel on 
either side. In niches^ Sta. Cristina and S. Mary Magdalen. 

The windows of the nave are filled with stained glass of 
more interesting character than is usual in Italian churches. 
Begin in the northern aisle close to the transept, (i) The 
Unmoved Mover. (2) Creation of Adam and Creation of 
Eve. (3) Temptation^ Fall and Expulsion. (4) Labour 
of Adam ; Sacrifice of Cain and Abel. (5) Modern. 
(6) Killing of Lamech ; Building of the Ark. (7) Animals 
going into the Ark ; the Ark upon the Waters. 

On the southern side of the nave^ beginning at the west 
end : (8) Abraham's Servant seeks a Wife for Isaac ; 
Scene of the Marriage. (9) Building of the Tower of Babel ; 
Angels destroy the Tower. (10) Modern. (11) Deceit of 
Jacob ; the Blessing of Esau. (12) Finding of the Cup in 



PISA 27 

Benjamin's Sack ; Moses receives the Tables of the Law. 
(13) God appears to Jacob (?). (14) Modern restoration ; 
Three Angels appear to Abraham ; Sacrifice of Isaac. 

At the R. of the western door on the end wall is a Cruci- 
fixion, a fresco of the fourteenth century, with Madonna, 
St John and Mary Madgalen. 

On the nave pier, next to the transept on the r., 
S. Agnes, by Andrea del Sarto. 

On the pier opposite. Madonna and Child, by Pierino 
del Vaga. 

The design of the altars in the nave has been attributed 
to Michelangelo, the execution to Stagi of Pietra Santa. 

The fourth altar from west end in the southern aisle 
contains the relics of Gamaliel, Nicodemus and Abiba, 
brought from the Holy Land. 

In the apse of the southern transept are the relics of 
the local saint Ranieri, who died in 11 61 ; to the r. and 
L. are statues of SS. Epheseo and Potito (the latter origin- 
ally a statue of Mars) made by Giovanni Battista Lorenzi in 

The paintings represent S. Ranieri taking the habit ; 
the exorcising of one possessed ; the death of the saint ; 
and the miracle of the raising of the child. At the back 
of the altar is a marble relief of the Assumption of the 
Virgin ; and above there is a mosaic of the same subject. 

Treasury of the Duomo 

By the courtesy of those in charge the objects in the 
treasury may generally be seen if notice is given. 

Ivory statuette, Madonna and Child, by Giovanni Pisano, 
It is treated with simplicity, and in most respects naturally. 
The poise of the body corresponds to the weight borne. 
The drapery is a model of severe and graceful simplicity. 
Madonna is not treated as a spiritual person. She has a 
large, heavy face ; the only trace of sensibility in it is the 
half-shy glance that she casts on the Child. The Child, on 
the other hand, is formal and conventional. There is 



28 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

nothing childlike about the confident assumption of 
expression and pose. In spite of this the little group is 
a charming example of the " sweet new style." 

Large coffer in Byzantine enamel. The Crucifixion and 
the Twelve Apostles are represented. The coffer contains 
a stone from Calvary. 

Processional cross carried in the first crusade. The figure 
of Christ is represented with the eyes open^ the head erect^ 
the arms stretched out straightly and the feet apart. 

Reliquary with a piece of S. Ranieri's vestment. Gilt 
figures on blue enamel represent Christ crucified and Christ 
in blessing. Date about 1200. 

Reliquary with the hand of S. Bartholomew brought 
from Jerusalem. On the stem is a thirteenth-century 
enamel with angels and apostles in pointed niches. 

The Baptistery 

[The Pisan Baptistery is built on the scale necessary for 
such buildings when the rite was performed by the Bishop 
only twice in the year. In early times it was the custom 
after the celebration for the newly baptised to go in pro- 
cession to the DuomO; thus symbolising their entry into 
the true Land of Promise. The main door of the Baptistery 
is therefore conveniently placed opposite to the central 
door of the Duomo. It was usual to associate the number 
eight with the idea of baptism, founding on the eight souls 
saved in the ark^ the eight beatitudes reached through the 
grace received in baptism^ and other analogous relation- 
ships. Hence the buildings or the font^ or both^ were fre- 
quently made with eight sides. At Pisa the font only is 
octagonal. 

The building was begun in 11 53 under the direction 
of Diotisalvi^ who built the Church of S. Sepolcro on the 
Lung'Arno Galileo. 

In 1 1 64 a tax was laid on the families in Pisa^ said to 
have been thirty-four thousand in number^ in aid of the 
buildings which about that time had reached the first storey. 




Phoiograf>h : Anderson 

MADONNA AND CHILD 

(By Giovanni Pisano. Museum, Orvieto) 

Compare with "' Madonna and Child" by Giovanni Pisano, in the 
Treasury of the Duomo, Pisa 



PISA 29 

It is uncertain how far the work was carried in the twelfth 
century^ but it was far short of completion^ and it was 
not begun again apparently till the latter half of the 
thirteenth century. 

On the second storey of the building is the date 1278. 
Some critics have thought that it marks the end of the 
building at this period^ others have considered it as the 
date of the beginning of the work. In the first case the 
sculpture of the second elevation might have been under 
the personal supervision of Niccolo Pisano ; in the second 
it would be due to his followers. 

The third storey is attributed to Cellino di Nese, a Sienese 
who was employed on the baptistery of Pistoia in 1338.] 

The first elevation of the building is formed of an arcade 
of large arches such as those of the first storey of the 
Duomo. 

The second elevation has an arcading of arches similar to 
those on the higher stages of the fagade of the Duomo. 
Each pair of these is sirmounted by a crocketed gable^ 
and between each gable rises a tall tabernacle with 
pinnacles and crockets. It is uncertain how much of this 
detail should be attributed to the workers who either ended 
or began in 1278. Probably the characteristic heads on 
the archeS; the huge busts under the gables^ and the statues 
on the pinnacles^ as well as the pointed detail of the archi- 
tecture^ is due to artists of the last half of the thirteenth 
century. The large bust over the eastern door represents 
Madonna with the Child ; to the r.^ SS. John Evangelist 
and Mark ; to the l.^ an unidentified figure ; and then 
SS. Matthew and Luke. The originals of some of those 
recently restored are in the Museo Civico. 

The extraordinary appearance of the roof is due to the 
combination of a conical roof, which covered the central 
area of the buildings with a domical roof extended to cover 
the circular aisle. 

The most characteristic quality of the architecture of the 
exterior is found in the treatment of the eastern and 
northern doors. Some authorities have placed these 



30 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

details in the first decade of the thirteenth century^ others 
in the middle of the same century. 

The Eastern Door. The outer and principal pillars are 
deeply carved with foliage springing from bosses of magni- 
ficent leaves. There is no crude naturalism^ everything is 
ordered^ but everywhere there is life. Everything is in 
perfect harmony but nothing is formal. On the pillar to 
the L. the figures of a maiden carrying a basket and another 
playing a harp have an air of classical distinction^ free from 
Byzantine tradition. The same is true of the " Labours 
of the Months/' also on the left of the entrance. The 
inner pillar^ on the other hand^ is covered with surface 
decoration of leaves^ sharp and spiny^ such as might have 
been founded on some Byzantine model. The figures to 
the R. of the door corresponding to those of the " Labours " 
represent Christ in Ascension^ with Madonna and eleven 
disciples below ; the two lowest panels represent the 
Descent into Hades^ with the inscription^ '^ introitu 
sOLis/' and King David as a minstrel. 

The door has a double lintel. On the first is carved the 
story of S. John the Baptist. To the l.^ S. John preaches 
in the wilderness^ and recognises Christ as He appears. 
Then follows the Baptism. Farther to the r. S. John 
stands before Herod and is led off to prison. In the 
banqueting scene^ the devil prompts Herodias to bid 
Salome ask for the head of S. John. Again the devil incites 
Salome and Herod^ so that the evil desire of the girl is 
coupled with the weakness of ITerod's will. Farther to the 
R. S. John is slain^ and his head is given to the maid. To 
the extreme r. the disciples prepare for the burial. 

On the second lintel there are eleven busts — in the centre, 
Christ ; to the spectator's l., Madonna ; to the R., S. John 
Baptist. To the r. and l. of this central group there are 
two evangelists and two angels. Both these lintels bear 
the traces of Byzantine influence. The carving is not 
strong, nor is it fresh. In spite, however, of mannerism, 
there is the ordered rhythm and something of the grace 
due to ancient tradition. 



PISA 31 

On the soffit of the circumscribing arch^ the Lamb is in 
the centre, and on each side are busts, representing perhaps 
prophets or the twenty-four elders. Within the arch, 
Madonna and Child by Giovanni Pisano ; to the l., S. John 
Baptist ; and to the R., S. John Evangelist. The kneeling 
figure presented by S. John Baptist has not been certainly 
identified. 

Tlie Northern Doorway is much simpler than the Eastern. 
It is, nevertheless, a good example of finely ordered and 
sensitive Pisan work. The sculpture on the lintel has 
marked Byzantine character. In the centre is Zacharias 
with his censer; to the l., the angel; to the R., S. Elizabeth 
with her arms spread in prayer ; beyond, at each side, a 
prophet ; and at each end an armed figure. Above, on the 
lintel, rosettes or whorls of leaves. 

Enter by the eastern door. The interior is simple. Its 
severity aids us in realising its spacious magnificence. 
Four piers and eight columns carry the structure. 

Of these, nine have capitals more or less classical in 
character ; three others recall the naturalism of Roman- 
esque work in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. On 
one, harpies, dragons, lions and cubs are carved. 
Another has a series of hunting scenes. A man fights 
with a lion ; another carries off a deer ; a hound pounces 
on a fox ; a stag is caught in a thicket ; a bear licks her 
cub. 

Every effort is made to represent these powerful and 
hurtful creatures so as to aw^aken awe and fear, to remind 
the newly baptised of the powers ol darkness, against 
which they have been fortified. 

Under the dome is the octagonal font for immersion, 
approached by three steps. The marble panels are finely 
wrought with lace-like decoration in a manner not un- 
common in Tuscany. They are also enriched with small 
human heads, animals, birds, etc. The work was done 
in 1246 by Guido Bigarelli, who made the pulpit in 
S. Bartolommeo in Pantano at Pistoia. 

To the left of the font is the *pulpit made by Niccolo 



32 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Pisano in 1260. It is one of the most interesting monu- 
ments in Italy. In it the genius of Niccolo liberated Italian 
sculpture from the limitations of Romanesque art. The 
change which he brought about was the crowning achieve- 
ment of a long course of effort. Romanesque sculpture 
was mainly the result of the concurrent tradition of Roman 
and Byzantine art in the hands of the barbarian conquerors 
of Italy. As the barbarians were civilised^ art improved. 
In the twelfth century a revival of classical life brought the 
effort of Italian sculptors more nearly into line with the 
natural development of Italian culture. On the Duomo 
at Cremona the stiff and formal figures of the prophets are 
rather in the nature of hieroglyphs than representations of 
the human form. At S. Zeno in Verona the figures have 
life and movement ; their dignity is no longer official or 
ceremonial^ it is the result of personal quality. In the early 
part of the thirteenth century classical feeling produced an 
amazing effect on the work of the Antelami at Parma. To 
the same classical influence is due the group pf S. Martino 
and the beggar^ at Lucca. Niccolo Pisano represents 
these classical impulses in full fruition ; it only remained 
for him to treat the Deposition at Lucca^ and the Nativity 
in the baptistery at Pisa with the skill of a supreme crafts- 
man^ and the imagination of a great artist. This^ however, 
does not exhaust the interest of Niccolo's pulpit. No 
sooner had Niccolo perfected his art as the result of classical 
impulses than an opposing movement, traceable to what 
may be called generally the Romantic impulse in France, 
proved to be the master force for the time. It affected 
Niccolo even in the Pisan pulpit. It is more distinctly 
marked in the Sienese pulpit, made some six years later. 
It is still more evident in the work of his scholars and 
disciples. 

The pulpit of 1260 is simple as compared to the later 
examples. The panels are divided by columns instead of 
by sculptured figures, or even more elaborate compositions. 
The pulpit rests on columns instead of on the forms of 
heroes, archangels, evangelists, and Virtues, as in the 




PJwtograpJi : Alinari 

PULPIT IN THE CHURCH OF GROPINA, IN VAL D'ARNO 
Compare with Pulpits in the Pisaii Style at Pisa, Siena and Pistoia 



PISA 33 

pulpit (i 302-1 310) made by Giovanni Pisano for the 
Duomo. Niccolo accepted the Romanesque habit of 
placing his columns on the backs of lions^ and made a 
strange and rude allegorical group for the foundation of his 
central pillar. He used pointed forms in his architectural 
detail. It is when we come to the statuettes and the 
panels of the Nativity^ the Adoration^ and the Presenta- 
tion that we see the effect of classical influences. 

At the cornerS;, resting on the pillars^, are statuettes which 
have been variously interpreted. Beginning at the side 
of the stair^ to the l., and below the Nativity panels the 
figure is probably Charity, then Power (?)^ typified by 
Hercules^ Humility^ Truth (?) with a dog, Innocence^ 
with a lamb, Faith as an angel. 

The first panel, that of the Nativity, is the most famous. 
The Annunciation is in the upper left-hand corner : the 
shepherds are to the R., their flocks in the lower corner. 
In the centre Madonna reclines in magnificent passivity. 
Above, the Child is cradled in an antique sarcophagus. 
In the foreground Joseph sits in contemplation beside the 
women, who wash the Child. Madonna is perhaps the 
most popular of all Niccolo's creations. The sculptor 
is at the height of his power as an interpreter of mediaeval 
Christian tradition through the medium of classical 
temper. Nor does the power of subtle blending of tend- 
encies stop here ; for while the general feeling of the panel 
remains classical, the general effect is distinctly picturesque. 
Niccolo, standing as he did between the old world and the 
new, had the power to assimilate impulse from both. The 
naturalism of the shepherds and their flocks is as note- 
worthy in its w^ay as the Olympian calm of Madonna. 

The sculpture of the second panel gains by its concentra- 
tion on a single incident : the Adoration of the Magi. The 
design is more formal than that of the Nativity. Madonna 
is as magnificent as ever, although less debonair; the 
two kneeling kings are also severe and unmoved in their 
bearing. The only trace of emotion is in the young king 
who stands behind the older men. 



34 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In the Presentation in the Temple the three figures in the 
foreground are supremely dignified. We wonder why an 
art of such extraordinary quality should have so easily 
yielded to the romantic impulse which overspread France 
and Italy. Perhaps the reason was^ that although Niccolo 
liberated art from its technical limitations^ he failed^ in 
the classical phase of his art;, to liberate the spirit in his 
sculpture. His figures are magnificent^ but they are not 
moved by the passion of life. 

In the Crucifixion the design suffers in some degree from 
the lack of distinction between the central subject and the 
attendant incident. The treatment is not historical. 
There are no thieves^ no centurion^ no soldiers. In the 
upper part of the panel^ to the l.^ there is the allegorical 
figure of the Church ; and to the r.^ an angel thrusts aside 
the allegorical figure of the Synagogue. On the one side 
of the cross the group around the fainting Virgin is rather 
formal and official. The Jews^ crowded together on the 
other side^ some angry^ all commonplace^ do not recognise 
that the birthright is passing from them. They are suffi- 
ciently satisfied with the triumph of an ordered system over 
a new ideal. 

The last panel represents the Judgment. It has been 
damaged. A large number of the figures are headless, but 
even so it is possible to see with what care the work has been 
planned. Christ is seated, surrounded by the symbols 
of the Evangelists ; to the spectator's l. are the Apostles, 
and beneath them the elect. To the r., the damned are 
driven into the presence of Satan. It is on this panel that 
the coming change in Niccolo 's style is m.ade clear. The 
Kings in the Adoration of the Magi should be compared 
with the Apostles. These latter are men keenly alive, their 
understandings are moved by the drama which is enacted. 
They are not the official assessors of a judge nor are 
they merely members of a hierarchical caste ; they are 
individualities each impelled according to his character. 
The figure of Christ is animated by a new feeling of which 
there is hardly a trace in the earlier panels. It exceeds the 



PISA 35 

Christ of Michelangelo's Judgment as much in spiritual 
insight as it excels Antelami's Christ on the Parma 
baptistery in technical power. 

Every impulse that moved the Italian mind from the 
twelfth century to the fourteenth century has left its mark 
on the Baptistery. The cultivated and delicate formalism 
of Byzantine art^ the rude vigour of the Romanesque 
tradition^ the new style of Niccolo and Giovanni^ all have 
their part in the making of this remarkable m^ument. 

The Campanile 

This beautiful round tower was begun in 1174^ by 
Bonannus and Benenatus of Pisa. The work was continued 
by William of Innsbruck (about 1260)^ and the bell-storey 
was added later by Tommaso Pisano^ pupil of Andrea 
PisanO;, in 1350. It is generally believed that some im- 
perfection of the foundations caused the building to lean 
to one side^ before it had reached the third storey^ and that 
the builders tried to correct the incHnation in the upper 
part. The style is the same as that of the facade of the 
Duomo : a series of round-headed arcades divided by 
slender columns rendered in delicate shades of grey and 
yellow marble. Over the entrance door is a relief of 
Madonna and Child^ with SS. Peter and John^ by sculptors 
of the Pisan school. On the wall near the door are three 
animals — a dragon^ a boar^ and a bull — carved in Roman- 
esque style. The capitals are similar to those of the 
DuomO;, chiefly carved with foliage of classical character^ 
with an occasional form of some animal in the Romanesque 
manner. 

From the top of the tower there is a wide and varied 
view. On a clear day the island of Corsica is visible. To 
the south-west lie S. Pietro in Grado^ Leghorn and its port. 
To the east stretches the valley of the Arno^ thickly popu- 
lated ; and to the north-east are the Monti Pisani^ separating 
Pisa from Lucca^ with Bagni di S. Giuliano on the slopes_, 
and the peaks of the Carrara mountains in the background. 



36 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The Campo Santo 

[An inscription on the wall at the side of the principal 
entrance states that the cemetery was first planned by the 
Archbishop Ubaldo Lanfranchi^ who deposited here several 
shiploads of earth from Calvary^ which he had brought to 
Pisa in 1118. It was not until a century and a half later 
(in 1278)^ however^ that the building was begun under the 
direction of Gherardo Sardella^ from designs by Giovanni 
Pisano ; and the work was still going on at the end of the 
next century. 

The exterior presents a mass of wall^ ornamented with 
shallow arcading^ and with carved heads at the springing 
of the arches. 

There are two entrances. The one nearest to the Duomo 
is crowned by a group of statues under a Gothic tabernacle^ 
representing Madonna and Child;, with Pietro Gambacorti^ 
the operajo^ and Giovanni Pisano^ the architect^ and other 
founders kneeling before her. 

There are two Latin inscriptions near the door. One to 
the left announces that the repentant dead buried here 
shall be saved. The other^ in the fourth arcade to the 
rights addresses the passer-by : '' What thou art^ I was. 
I am^ what thou shalt be. Pray for me ! " 

These words strike the same note as the frescoes inside. 
Death is presented as the inevitable end; and the great 
equaliser.] 

The interior gives the impression of a vast cloister^ with 
beautiful pointed windows. It is a spacious and tranquil 
loggia surrounding a garden of grass plots and flower-beds. 

At the springing of the arches on the outer side of the 
windows are one hundred and thirty-two carved heads^ 
some of men^ some of animals^ and others like comic and 
tragic masks. 

To begin with the frescoes. 

The paintings on the walls are of the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries^ but all have been much restored at 



PISA 37 

different periods^ and some repainted. They are interest- 
ing rather as illustrations of the thought and feeling of 
their own time^ than on account of their aesthetic quality. 

On entering^ turn to the r. Walk up the length of the 
corridor to the east-end wall^ where there are four pictures : 

(i) The Ascension (next to the chapel door). 

(2) Christ rising from the Tomb (on the upper range). 

(3) Christ appears to his Disciples. 

(4) The Crucifixion^ a large picture painted from the 
historical point of view. 

These frescoes have been attributed to many painters. 
The latest authorities assign them^ and the four succeeding 
pictures on the south wall^ all to the same hand^ either the 
Pisan^ Tratm, or the Sienese^ Lorenzetti, or to one of their 
followers. 

All these frescoes have been frequently restored ; but^ 
with the help of a glass^ in many individual parts something 
can be seen of the rich and harmonious colouring, of the 
elaborate ornaments and patterns, freely touched with 
gilding. 

The South Wall 

The first three pictures illustrate the Triumph of Death^ 
the Last Judgment^ and Hell. The first part of the 
Triumph is Death's warning to the living. A hawking 
party of men and women come riding through a narrow- 
gorge between the hills^ and are confronted by three open 
graves with corpses in different stages of decay. Just 
above the dead bodies stands a monk presenting a writing 
which warns the gay party that here they see the end of 
pride and vainglory. Each figure of the group is moved 
according to its kind. The dogs scent the ground;, the 
horses snort and start^, one stretches his neck showing his 
teeth. Of the three men riders^ one leans forward curiously^ 
another holds his nose^ the third makes some remark 
about the corpses to the lady beside him^ whose face is 
drawn with fear and compunction. Behind the monk, 
who has been called S. Macarius^, by Vasari, a rocky path 



38 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

ascends. Above is a small chapel where some hermits 
dwell^ trying to free themselves from pride and vainglory. 
One reads^ one milks a doe^ and the wild things of the 
forest rest peacefully beside them. 

Behind the hawking party rises a hill^ and beyond this^ 
Death^ a sinister figure;, pale and aged^, with heavy wings, 
prepares to cut down the living with a great scythe. An 
inscription, which has disappeared since the last restora- 
tion, makes her say : ''I thirst to cut short life. But 
most times I turn from those who call, and fall on those 
who turn up their noses at me." Below Death lies a heap 
of her victims. Some are just giving up their souls, and 
these are seized by devils. Under the shadow of the hill, 
the halt, maimed, blind and diseased folk call to Death : 
^' Since all prosperity has left us, Death ! medicine 
of every ill, come and give us our last supper." 

Two cherubs hold another warning above this group : 
^^ The weapons of knowledge, of riches, of nobility and of 
prowess avail nothing against the blows of this one. Ah 
reader ! let not thy intellect be wasted and thy mind un- 
prepared, lest she come upon thee in mortal sin." 

On the R. is a group such as Boccaccio pictured in the 
gardens of Florentine villas. Men and women, gaily 
dressed, sit in a garden, and with hawks and lap-dogs, 
love and music the hours pass, and Death swoops down 
upon them. 

The sky above is thick with devils and angels carrying 
off the souls. The half-human, half-beast devils seize their 
prey by the hair or by the feet, and hurry off to plunge them 
into the burning mountain on the l. The angels clasp 
the souls lovingly, defend them against the devils, and bear 
them off to the R. 

In the next compartment is the scene of the general 
Resurrection and the Last Judgment. Christ and Mary 
are seated on a level, each in a rainbow-coloured mandorla. 
Christ raises His arm to show the wound in His side, and 
looks down at those who have refused salvation. On 
either side above are angels with the instruments of the 



PISA 39 

Passion. Below sit the Apostles as assessors. Immedi- 
ately below the thrones an archangel^ probably Gabriel^ 
holds out two scrolls : ^' Come ye blessed of my Father/' 
on one ; and " Depart from me ye that work iniquity/' on 
the other. An angel on either side sounds the last trump. 
At the feet of Gabriel cowers Raphael^ averting his face. 
Below him stands Michael^ parting the good from the evil^ 
as the dead rise from their graves. On the spectator's l. 
are the blessed^ arranged in hierarchical fashion^ according 
to their rank in the world below. At the top are the 
prophets and patriarchs ; then saints ; then kings^ popes 
and cardinals ; then laymen ; and lastly women. Every 
face is raised in adoration^ except that of a queen in the 
foreground^ who eagerly greets a young girl stepping out of 
the tomb. 

On the L. the guardian angels push a crowd of the 
damned^ arranged more or less in the same hierarchical 
fashion, towards the cliffs of Hell. Those who are nearest 
to the gate are gripped by the claws and hooks of the 
devils inside, and these miserable ones clutch and cling to 
their fellows behind. 

Every face is filled with selfish fear or grief. Gesture is 
used with singular effectiveness : hands are wrung together ; 
those who are clasped by the shrieking victims try to dis- 
engage themselves. 

In the final scene the pit of Hell is laid bare. Satan sits 
in the middle, clothed in mail. He has three faces, and 
in each mouth champs a sinner. According to Dante's 
vision, these were Judas, Brutus and Cassius ; but accord- 
ing to Pisan tradition they represent -Nebuchadnezzar, 
Juhan the Apostate, and Atilla. Another sinner, Simon 
Magus, comes out from a rent in Satan's body. At the top 
of the picture two angels hold scrolls. On one is : '' Praise, 
honour and glory to God whose judgments are all just 
and true " (Rev. xix. i). ; and on the other : '"' Who made 
earth and sea, etc." (Rev. x. 6). In the upper left corner 
are the Simoniacs, the Arians, and other heretics ; next to 
them come the diviners and sorcerers. 



40 TEE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Below^ in the l.^ are men and women bitten by serpents. 
On the R. the word ^' Invidia " is inscribed^ where the 
envious are punished. The writing on the third circle is 
nearly illegible^, but the word " Gola " was readable before 
the last restoration. Here the gluttons are seated at a 
table. In the lowest row the sins of pride and vainglory 
are punished. 

The frames of these pictures are all carefully painted 
with symbolical figures^ and many inscriptions. Over 
the first scene^ for instance^ is Abel^ the first dead man^ and 
Cain^ the first homicide. 

With reference to the subjects of these remarkable 
pictures, it may be noted that the firsts Death's warning 
to the livings resembles the popular rhymed fable of the 
thirteenth century known as '' The Three Dead and the 
Three Living." Such writings and such pictures were the 
precursors of the poem called '' The Dance of Death/' 
which was acted and illustrated all over Europe in the 
fifteenth century. The intention was the same : to bring 
home to every man the certainty of death and the horrors 
of hell. 

With this Pisan Judgment and Hell of the fourteenth 
century we may compare the mosaic of Torcello^, where an 
Italo-Byzantine workman of the twelfth century closely 
followed Greek tradition. It is based on the Scriptures^ 
the PsalmS; Gospels and Epistles^ but the treatment of the 
subject is abstract and traditional. There is no direct 
appeal to the individual. On the other hand there is a 
marked contrast between this picture of the Campo Santo 
and the sixteenth-century rendering of the Judgment^ by 
MichelangelO; in the Sistine Chapel. 

In Michelangelo's work there is no detail of punishment. 
It is the final resolution of good and evil^ and in the pre- 
sence of the Divine wrath^ Nature is shaken to her very 
foundations. Here at Pisa there^is not the dignified tradi- 
tion of TorcellO;, still less is there the final resolution of all 
things as in the Sistijie. The appeal here is to the in- 
dividual. The artist cares nothing about the end of the 



PISA 41 

world. It is the end of each soul that he aims at. There 
is no wide philosophical outlook upon life. Men are alto- 
gether good or altogether evil. While the blessedness of 
those who enjoy the sight of God is somewhat formally 
rendered, on the other hand every horrible imagining 
springing from the mediaeval terror of the unseen is used to 
heighten the sufferings of the damned. 

The next series is a gloss upon the sermon on the Triumph 
of Death and the Judgment. It represents the Lives of 
the first HermitS; the '' Fathers of the Desert/' those who 
stripped themselves of all the concerns of the active life and 
followed after the blessedness of contemplation^ enduring 
many temptations from evil spirits. The frescoes attri- 
buted by Vasari to the Sienese Pietro Lorenzetti (d. 1348) 
are probably the work of some follower. 

Beginning at the extreme l. at the top of the picture^ we 
see Paul, the first hermit, who withdrew to the deserts of 
Egypt during a time of persecution, and lived a life of- 
solitude until his one hundred and thirteenth year, when 
another hermit, Anthony, came to seek him out, hav^ing 
been told in a vision that there dwelt another in the desert, 
more perfect than himself. Paul, knowing that his death 
was near and wishful to be alone, sent Anthony to the 
Bishop to ask for a cloak which should serve as a pall. 
When Anthony returned, Paul lay dead. Having no 
spade he knew not what to do, when two lions came from 
the interior of the forest and dug a hole large enough for a 
grave. 

Anthony dwelt in solitude and often suffered temptation 
from devils, who would present themselves as women on 
pilgrimage. Another time he was attacked by demons 
and cruelly beaten, but afterwards was greatly comforted 
by the Lord, who appeared in a vision. In the next scene 
we are shown the saint making a wooden spoon, for the 
Egyptian monks held that ^^ he who works not, shall not 
eat." Near by, S. Anthony is shown driving away devils 
by the sign of the cross. 

S. Hilarion^ a disciple of S. Anthony^ led the life of a 



42 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

hermit in Syria. He withdrew to Dalmatia in his old age^ 
seeking to escape from the fame of his miracles. Here 
there was a dragon called a Boa^ which had laid waste the 
country. S. Hilarion caused a heap of wood to be pre- 
pared^ and commanded the Boa in the name of Christ to 
mount the pile and then set fire to it. 

The second row^, beginning at the l._, shows S. Mary of 
Egypt^ a great sinner^ who lived a life of penitence in the 
wilderness beyond Jordan^ receiving the Last Sacrament 
from the hands of a priest who discovered her as she was 
about to die. 

The next scene has not been identified. The saint 
kneeling between two lions is probably S. Macarius^ another 
of S. Anthony's disciples^, who^ having taken up the solitary 
life^ could not make up his mind what form his penance 
should take^ when two lions came and digged a hole big 
enough for a man to lie in. This being clearly an indica- 
tion of the will of God; S. Macarius lay there for several 
years. Another scene of the temptation of a hermit by 
a devil disguised as a woman pilgrim is followed by the 
story of S. Macarius finding the skull of a heathen on 
the way. He asked the skull where its soul was^ and the 
answer came : " Deep in hell." '' Are there any deeper ? " 
asked the saint. " The Jews/' said the skull^ '' and; 
deeper still; the false Christians." 

The next group has not been identified. The three last 
scenes relate to S. Onofrio; a hermit of ThebeS; discovered; 
crawling in the wood like a wild beast, by a holy man 
named Paphnutius. S. Onofrio; on his death-bed; told 
all that he had endured, and how he had triumphed; and 
begged Paphnutius to go and make known his life to the 
world. Paphnutius buried the saint with the help of 
lionS; but tarried in the spot; until an earthquake camC; 
shook down his cell and broke the palm-tree above it. 

In the scene immediately beloW; Paphnutius is tempted 
by a beautiful womaU; and he turns from her to burn his 
hands in the flames. The temptress falls dead; but is 
restored to life by the prayers of the saint. 



PISA 43 

The acts of the hermits in the lower row have not been 
identified^ except one. We see the fathers travelHng^ 
fishing in the river Nile^, sitting by the doors of their cells. 
A monk seated by the bridge nursing a baby is S. Marina^ 
who was placed in a monastery by her father^ disguised as 
a monk. She was accused by a wicked woman of being the 
father of a child^ and at the command of the abbot she 
took charge of the child; begging her bread by the wayside. 
Her innocence was only discovered after her death. 

The lives of the hermits are set out in these frescoes 
with the same simplicity of intention^ vigour and directness 
which characterises the mediaeval legends. These pictures 
are an evidence of the tendency to make use of popular 
tales and moral examples both in sermons and in paintings. 

^^ The Golden Legend/' compiled about 1275^ and the 
*^ Exempla " of Jacques de Vitry (d. about 1240) are 
evidence of the way in which the lives of the saints and 
popular tales were used to stir up a new spiritual life. 
The '' Fioretti " of S. Francis^ compiled probably in the 
fourteenth century^ also illustrates the same desire to bring 
home the spirituality of life to all^ not by abstract theory 
but by the experience of daily life. 

Over the first door on this wall is the Assumption of 
the Virgin ascribed to Lippo Memmt. God the Father 
holds the aureole with both hands^ and angels support it 
from below. Other angels hold emblems of the Virgin^ such 
as the vasC; the lily and the rose. 

The next series of frescoes gives the history of S. Ranieri; 
a Pisan citizen^ born 1128^ who became the patron saint 
of the city. The paintings were begun by Andrea da 
Firenze in 1377 ^ and finished by Antonio Veneziano in 1386. 

Upper Series, (i) Ranieri in his youth gave himself to 
gay living; and one day^ while singing and playing for those 
who danced; a holy maU; the Blessed AlbertO; passed by^ 
and looked upon him with pity. Ranieri followed the holy 
mau; was converted; and became blind with weeping for 
his sins. He was consoled by Christ; who appeared in a 
vision. 



44 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(2) Ranieri sets sail for Palestine and receives from a 
priest the hair shirt given to pilgrims^ which he wore ever 
after in token of humility. In a vision he is presented to 
Madonna^ who is seated on a throne surrounded by a court 
of saints. 

(3) Ranieri exorcises a devil ; is raised up on to a 
mountain by devils^ and stoned. He tames leopards. 

Lower Series. (4) Ranieri returns from Joppa to Pisa. 
He convicts a fraudulent wineseller by causing him to 
pour his wine through his tunic^ when the water runs 
through and the wine remains. A devil is seated on the 
cask. 

(5) The death of the saint. His soul is carried to heaven. 
In the background are Pisan buildings. The first is S. Vito^ 
destroyed in the eighteenth century ; the second is the 
Duomo. 

(6) Destroyed. 

The following three frescoes^ by Spinello Aretino (1391- 
1392)^ relate the story of S. Ephesus : — 

(i) Upper row. Ephesus^ a pagan by birth^ and a 
soldier^ receives a command from Diocletian to extirpate 
the Christians in Sardinia. The army sets off^ but Christ 
appears in a vision to Ephesus and forbids the enter- 
prise. 

(2) Ephesus refuses to attack the Christians. He re- 
ceives a banner from S. Michael with the arms of Pisa^ and 
the saint and archangel defend the Christians against the 
Pagans. 

(3) Ephesus^ brought before the Roman ruler^ is con- 
demned to be burned in a furnace. His persecutors are 
killed^ while he escapes^ by a miracle^ but is finally be- 
headed. 

The lower series^ which told the story of S. Potitus, has 
almost entirely disappeared. 

Passing the entrance door^ the next six frescoes^ by 
Francesco da Volterra (1371); give the story of Job. They 
have been much destroyed by the setting up of a large 
monument against the wall : 



PISA 45 

(i) Job in his prosperity^ feasting with his friends and 
feeding the poor. 

(2) Satan appears before God and demands that he may 
afflict Job. The destruction of the flocks and herds. 

(3) Job praises God. 

The lower range are destroyed^ except one portion^ where 
Job is seen seated wdth his three comforters. 

There are no frescoes on the west wall. 

The first on the northern w^all is a map of the world; *' il 
mappo-mondo." The Creator supports in his arms the 
great machine of the world. In the centre is the earthy 
surrounded by the heavens^ with the planets and nine 
hierarchies of angels. At the foot are two doctors of the 
church; S. Augustine and S. Thomas Aquinas^ holding 
books which they have written about the order of creation. 

Next follow a series by Pietro di Puccio of Orvieto^ begun 
in 1390 : 

(i) Creation of Adam. God leads Adam into the Garden. 
Creation of Eve. The Fall. The Expulsion^ and Adam 
and Eve labouring. 

(2) The Offerings of Cain and Abel. The Death of Abel. 
God sets a Sign upon Cain. Lamech shoots Cain. 

(3) The Building of the Ark. The Dove returns to the 
Ark. The Sacrifice of Noah. 

The series of twenty-four scenes from the Old Testament 
were painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, from 1468 to 1484. 
They illustrate the histories of Noah^ Abraham^ Isaac^ 
Jacob; Joseph and Moses. 

The groups of figures are vividly realised in the costumes 
of the day (that iS; of the fifteenth century); and many 
portraits of contemporaries were introduced. Benozzo 
was a master of genrC; and by the depicting of much 
incidental detail he produced gay; animated pictures^ 
which give a lively satisfaction to those who enjoy the 
representation of everyday sights. Children and animals 
appear in nearly every scenC; and as a rule they are in no 
way concerned with the action of the drama. Benozzo is 
an admirable storyteller; and he carries us with him into his 

E 



46 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

bright world of incident^ but he has no high gravity^ no 
intimacy of insight. He presents average feeHng rather 
than illumination. His emotion is straightforward and 
obviouS; yet at times he seems touched with a sense of the 
beauty and meaning of visible things. 

(4) Lower range. Noah and his sons make wine. The 
drunkenness of Noah. 

(5) Noah^ seated in a loggia^ curses Ham. 

(6) The building of the Tower of Babel. In the back- 
groundj the magnificent city of Babylon. 

(7) Upper range (over the door). The Adoration of 
the Magi. 

(8) (At the side of the door.) The Annunciation. 

(9) Upper range. The Temple of Belos. Abraham^ 
who refuses to worship^ is cast into a fire^ but is saved by 
God. 

(10) The contest between the herdsmen of Abraham 
and Lot. 

(11) Destruction of Sodom. Lot and his family escaping. 
Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt. 

(12) Lower range (under the Temple of Belos). God 
appears to Abraham^ w^ho with his family sets out from 
Ur. Abraham is blessed by Melchisedek. 

(13) Sarah and Hagar quarrel. Hagar in the wilder- 
ness is comforted by an angel. Abraham entertains three 
angels. 

(14) Eleazar sent to demand a wife for Isaac. The 
sacrifice of Isaac. 

(15) t//)/?^r (next to the Destruction of Sodom). Eleazar 
drinks from Rebecca's jar. . The feast. 

(16) Lower. Birth of Esau. Rebecca's deceit. 

(17) Upper. Jacob goes to Padan- Aram. Meets Rachael 
at the well. His marriage. He wrestles with an angel. 

(18) Lower. The meeting of Jacob and Esau. 

(19) Upper (over the door). The Coronation of the 
Virgin. 

(20) S. John the Baptist and the Apostles kneeling in 
Adoration. 



PISA 47 

(21) Upper. Joseph tells his dreams to his brethren : 
is cast into a well^ and sold to the Egyptians. He is 
tempted by the wife of Potiphar and imprisoned. 

(22) Below. The brethren in Egypt. The cup found 
in Benjamin's sack. 

(2^) Upper. Moses as a child in the Court of Pharaoh 
was tested by two bowls^ one with precious jewels, the other 
full of flames. Moses placed his hands in the flames^ and 
so was judged to be foolish^ therefore harmless. In this 
way he escaped death. Another miracle of Moses. The 
magicians' rods are turned into dragons. 

(24) Lower. The Crossing of the Red Sea. 

(25) Upper. Moses receives the Tables of the Law. 

(26) Lower. Destroyed. 

(27) Upper. The Consecration of the Tabernacle. 
The Brazen Serpent. 

(28) Lower. The View from Pisgah^ and the death of 
Moses. (Much destroyed.) 

(29) Upper. The Crossing of the Jordan. Trumpets 
are blown under the walls of Jericho^ and Goliath is 
slain. 

(30) Destroyed. 

On the east wall there are some unimportant pictures 
relating to the history of Elijah and Belshazzar's 
feast. 

Monuments and Sculpture. Beginning at the east 
end. An Etruscan grifhn in bronze^ with cuffic inscriptions, 
formerly in the Duomo. 

(xxiii.) A large Roman sarcophagus with figures set in 
separate niches. Along this wall are several modern 
monuments. 

South side. L. (152 and 154) An inscription in honour 
of the grandsons of Augustus. 

(158 and 155) Roman milestones. 

(175) Fragments of a pulpit originally in S. Michele in 
Borgo. 

(41) Fragment of a Roman mosaic pavement found 
when the steps of the Duomo were reconstructed. 



48 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

An Etruscan altar with rams' heads at the corners. 

(43 and 42) Etruscan urns in bronze with recumbent 
figures. 

At the sides of the closed door (6 and 23)^ busts of Brutus 
and Hadrian. 

(3) Sarcophagus with the figures of lions. 

(4) Roman sarcophagus with Nereids and Tritons. 

(5) Sarcophagus with lions. (51) opposite. Sarcophagus 
with the story of Endymion. 

On the R.^ sarcophagus with the Chase of the Kalydonian 
Boar^ and another with lions carved by Biduinus^ a stone- 
cutter of the twelfth century. 

West end. In the corner^ an Etruscan vase on a granite 
pillar. Behind it a classical frieze with dolphins ; on the 
back are sculptured panels in the style of the thirteenth 
century. 

(61) Seated figure of Madonna and Child of the Pisan 
school. 

Tomb of Count Gherardesca (1321). 

Inscription commemorating the Pisans who fell in the 
war of 1848. " Andarono alia guerra da Pisa ; morirono 
per ITtalia." (They went to battle for the sake of Pisa ; 
they died for Italy.) 

Tomb of Emperor Henry VII. of Luxembourg (1315)^ 
died at Buonconvento^ by Tino da Camaino, Traces of 
colour and gilding remain. On the face of the tomb^ the 
Twelve Apostles. Above^ on the walls^ are the chains of 
the Port of Pisa^ carried off by the Genoese in 1362 and 
restored in part by the Florentines in 1848 and in part 
by the Genoese in i860. 

Tomb of Bishop Pietro di Ricci (1418)^ with reliefs of 
Faith^ Hope and Charity. At each end are statues of 
Piscan type. 

(50) Statuette of Madonna and Child. 

(52) Fine Greek vase on a porphyry column^ with designs 
of dancing nymphs and bacchanti. 

North side. (56) A relief^, probably Attic. Beside this^ 
a small Romanesque font. An architrave with the story 



PISA 49 

of S. Sylvester^ and the baptism of Constantine. Above 
this^ three Romanesque capitals. 

Three carved panels^ of the twelfth century^ in the same 
style as the panels of the font in the baptistery. 

Carving of Christ in Glory surrounded by the symbols of 
the Evangelists^ by Buonamicus. 

A collection of sculptures of the twelfth century. Groups 
of the four symbols of the Evangelists. David playing the 
harp^ etc. 

Chapel. The tomb of Ligo degli Amannati (1359), 
by Cellino di Nese ; and opposite^ the tomb of Francesco 
degli Amannati. These monuments were originally in the 
Duomo. On the walls are fragments of frescoes in the 
Giotteschi manner of the fourteenth century. 

Beside the chapel door. (78) Head of Achilles. 

(77 and 76) Reliefs of Madonna and Child of the 
fifteenth century. 

Opposite^ a Christian sarcophagus^ wath a relief of the 
Good Shepherd. 

Bust of a woman said to be Isotta da Rimini^ by Mino 
da Fiesole, 

(81) Relief of the fifteenth century, '' Mercy." A half- 
length figure of Madonna and Child, by Giovanni Pisano. 

(88) Half figure of a saint in the Pisan style. 

(xxi.) Large Roman sarcophagus with the story of 
Hippolytus and Phaedra. This became the tomb of the 
Countess Beatrice (d. 1076), mother of the Countess 
Matilda, Marquess of Tuscany. 

(88 and 92) Fifteenth-century reliefs of Charity and 
Hope. 

Chapel of the Aulla. Contains two tombs of bishops of 
the fourteenth century. Altar-piece in glazed polychrome. 
The Assumption of the Virgin, with SS. James, Peter, Mark 
and a youthful martyr, work of the sixteenth century. 

(26) Roman sarcophagus with marriage scenes. 

(98) Small fragm.ents of Egyptian carvings. 

(125) Part of the tomb of Henry VII. The Emperor 
is seated, surrounded by his counsellors. 



50 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(120) An Etruscan urn. Above^ on sarcophagus with 
the hunt of Meleager^ is an old rehef with the harbour of 
Pisa^ dated 1157. 

In the Via Toretti (the broad street that runs eastward 
from the Duomo)is the Chapel of S. Rani eri^ which contains 
an old crucifix^ on the left wall^ in the manner of Giunta da 
Pisa. 

Follow the Via Toretti and turn to the right into the Via 
S. Cater ina. 

S. Oaterina 

A convent was founded here by Beatus Uguccione de 
Sardi^ a disciple of S. Dominic, The church was built in 
1252. The fagade was decorated about the year 1320. 

The fagade has been attributed to Fra Guglielmo, the 
disciple of Niccolo Pisano. The lower part has an arcading 
of three simple arches^ according to the common Pisan 
practice. The arcading of the open galleries above is 
formed of cusped and pointed arches. They have been 
fitted to the steep lines of the gable by a series of awkward 
stilts. The upper part includes a round window^ an 
unusual element in Pisan design. 

Interior. To the l. of the entrance is the monument to 
Archbishop Salterelli (d. 1342)^ made by Nino Pisano, 
The bas-reliefs on the base refer to acts of the Archbishop. 
Above is the sarcophagus in the form of a bier. Two 
angels withdraw curtains, but an arcade of closely set and 
elaborate columns and arches destroys the effect of the 
figure. In the higher part of the design, the soul of the 
Archbishop symbolised as a child is carried up by angels. 
At the top of the monument Madonna and Child are 
attended by angels. These latter have grace and vitality. 
This sculpture is enclosed under a cusped and crocketed 
canopy similar in design to one over a door of the Campo 
Santo. There are others on the western gable of S. M. 
della Spina, and over the door of S. Michele in Borgo. 
The plan thus chosen for protecting sculpture is peculiarly 



PISA SI 

confusing ; the pillars destroy the unity of the group of 
figures^ while the design of these tabernacles^ overcharged 
as they are with detail^ is in itself undignified. 

To the R. of the entrance is the tomb of Gherardo di 
Bartolommeo di Simone^ with floreated cross and sumptu- 
ous vegetation. Over it is a cusped arch and a crocketed 
gable. 

Over the third altar ^ to the l.^ Traini painted the Glorifi- 
cation of S. Thomas Aquinas. In the upper part of the 
picture Christ appears in an aureole ; beneath^ to the l.^ 
SS. Paul^ Matthew and Luke; to the R./Moses^ with 
SS. John and Mark. In the centre, S. Thomas Aquinas is 
seated with an open writing on his knee. On a lower level 
stands, to the l., Aristotle ; and to the r., Plato. Below, a 
crowd of monks and others eager to learn look up towards 
the saint. Beneath the figure of S. Thomas lies Averrhoes 
with his books closed. 

S. Thomas receives illumination from three sources. 
Direct rays descend on his head from Christ. From the 
books of Moses, the Evangelists and S. Paul rays proceed 
and strike the temples of Thomas. From Plato and 
Aristotle rays strike upward and touch the mouth. The 
subject matter of S. Thomas' teaching is thus declared to 
rest on revelation, while the form in which it is cast is 
philosophical. From the writings on his knee rays spread 
in all directions, and reach the crowd of disciples below. 

At the side of this altar-piece the pulpit of S. Thomas is 
preserved under glass. 

In the Chapel of the Rosary to the r. of the choir two 
statues in wood by Nino Pisano represent the Annuncia- 
tion. The angel is a noble figure, tall, and with the grace- 
fulness of youth. The drapery is effective and adds to our 
realisation of the form and poise of the figure. Madonna 
is grave. Her drapery gives a broader effect to the form ; 
her gesture is natural. The angel has no wings ; Madonna 
has no nimbus. Neither figure moves in the transcendental 
atmosphere of Simone Martini. Nor is there the deep 
spiritual emotion of Orcagna, nor the queenly graciousness 



52 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of contemporary French art. Nevertheless the Pisan has 
inspired these simple figures with a delicate harmony^ 
a subtle sense which gives them a distinguished place in 
the art of the fourteenth century. 

The altar-piece in this chapel^ Madonna and Child^ with 
SS. Peter and Paul^ is by Alhertinelli. 

In a chapel opening out of the S. transept there is a 
relief of Madonna and Child^ with SS. Jerome and Dominic^ 
all in low relief and coloured. Madonna and Child are 
treated with charming naivete. 

In the museum of the Seminario attached to S. Caterina 
there are some interesting panels. 

Parts of an altar-piece by Simone Martini. Madonna and 
Child^ S. Dominic^ S. Mary Magdalen^ a peculiarly char- 
acteristic figure of S. Catherine and S. Peter Martyr. 

Four panels by Traini : 

(i) Nativity of S. Dominic. (2) SS. Peter and Paul 
appear to S. Dominic. (3) The Pope sees a vision of 
S. Dominic upholding the Church. (4) Dominicans preach 
to Philosophers^ who throw their books into the fire. 

Small panels : S. Dominic revives a child ; S. Dominic's 
vision of a ladder resting on him by which a monk mounts 
to heaven ; Death of S. Dominic. 

Pass through the Piazza S. Caterina^ turn to the l. 
along the Via S. Lorenzo^ and then to the r.^ along the Via 
S. Elisabetta^ which ends in the piazza in which the Museo 
Civico and S. Francesco are situated. The traveller may 
also reach the Museo from the Ponte di Mezzo. Walk 
along the Borgo Stretto until the arcading ends ; turn to 
the R. along the Via S. Francesco. Note the simple fagade 
and campanile of Sta. Cecilia. Proceed as far as the 
Piazza Francesco Carrara. To the l. is the gate of the 
Museo Civico (entrance one franc). 

Museo Civico and Picture Gallery 

The buildings originally formed part of the Monastery of 
S. Francesco, Enter the cloister^ turn to the l. into the 






PISA S3 

room in which parts of the Pulpit, made by Giovanni 
Pisano (1301-1311) for the Duomo, are now preserved. 

A great fire happened in 1595^, and a short time after the 
pulpit was dismantled. Models have been made to suggest 
the original construction. A small one stands in the room 
from which it is possible to form some idea of the relation 
of the various parts. It is interesting to contrast this w^ork 
with the pulpit made by Niccolo Pisano for the baptistery 
in 1260, and to note the change of feeling within forty 
years. The subjects do not differ greatly but the differ- 
ences are significant ; in the design of 1260 the scene of the 
Massacre of the Innocents does not occur. At Siena, on 
the pulpit of 1266, which shows other signs of change, the 
Massacre is included. In the pulpit of 1301-1311 Giovanni 
Pisano adds to the Massacre other emotional scenes from 
the Passion. 

In the general construction of the two pulpits the change 
is from simplicity to complexity. The earlier pulpit rests 
on simple pillars, the later largely on statues set back to 
back, and piled up one on the top of another. Niccolo 
separated the panels of his pulpit by small pillars ; Gio- 
vanni uses statues as Niccolo himself had done at Siena. 
The visitor will find that the same kind of change has been 
made in other details, so that the general effect of the later 
work is much more elaborate. It may be suggested that 
what it gains in picturesqueness it loses in dignity. 

No less significant is the change in the sculpture. Com- 
pare for instance the scenes of the Adoration of the Magi. 
In the earlier design we have a Court function, a dignified 
ceremonial in which each figure represents an official in a 
well-defined hierarchy. Gesture is measured, expression 
is restrained. There is no passion of wonder, hardly any 
emotion. The decorous group stands for a synthesis of a 
highly organised society. In the panel in the Museo Civico, 
on the other hand, individual feeling sets its mark on each 
figure. Madonna is concerned with the Child : the King 
kisses the Infant with emotion. The last of the kings, 
urged forward by an angel^ carries the expression of emotion 



54 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

to weakness. Niccolo's Magi perform an act of official 
ritual. Giovanni's Magi come to realise a vision. 

Each sculptor has treated the nude figure. Niccolo is 
inspired by a sense of the beauty of the human form. 
Giovanni by his meagre anatomy desires to emphasise a 
state of mind. The virile forms of Niccolo give place to 
graceful suavity in the work of Giovanni. Note^ for 
instance^ the treatment of the Presentation in the two 
pulpits. During this period of forty years classical feeling 
has given place to the romantic habit. 

This change in the art of sculpture was coincident with a 
new point of view in many other directions. Between the 
middle of the thirteenth century^ when Niccolo began to 
work in Lucca and Pisa^ and the time of the completion 
of Giovanni's pulpit in 131I; the temporary eclipse of the 
Empire and the papacy altered the situation of Italian 
politics. 

Within the period; the vulgar tongue had become a 
powerful instrument for the expression of the national 
imagination. The pointed style of architecture had taken 
the place of Romanesque building. Painters such as 
Cavallini; Simone Martini^ and Giotto had forsaken the 
narrow way of Byzantine tradition. 

Enter the room and turn to the l, S. Michael; one of 
the supporting figures ; compare with the masculine 
character of Niccolo's work in the baptistery. HerculeS; 
another of the supporting figures (Sig. Venturi assigns this 
work to a follower). Panel of the Nativity of Christ. 
Figure; perhaps that of a prophet; originally at the corner 
between the panels of the Nativity and the Adoration of the 
Magi. Panel of the Adoration of the Magi. Figure 
originally placed at a corner between two panels. Panel of 
the Presentation and the Flight into Egypt. On the 
opposite wall; figure of S. Paul; originally placed between 
the panels of the Massacre of the Innocents and the 
Scenes of the Passion. This is one of the finest pieces in 
the collection. Panel of the Massacre of the Innocents. 
Christ; with angels bearing the instruments of the Passion, 




Photograph : J. W. Cnnckshank 

AUGUSTA PERUSIA 

(By the Pisan School, from the Fountain, Perugia) 

Compare with the allegorical figures of the Virtues by Giovanni Pisano, Pisa 



I 



I 



PISA 55 

formerly between the panels of the Massacre of the Inno- 
cents and the Scenes of the Passion. 

Panel of the Scenes of the Passion : the Betrayal^ Christ 
before the Judgment Seat, the Buffeting and the Flagella- 
tion. Christ standing on the Lion, the Asp and the Dragon. 
Panel of the Crucifixion (Sig. Venturi thinks that the figure 
of Christ is by an assistant, Bernardo). Figure from one 
of the corners. Panel of the Blessed. Figure from one 
of the corners. Figure of Charity. 

In the centre of the room. Group of the four Cardinal 
Virtues supporting an allegorical figure, supposed by some 
to represent " Pisa," by others the '' Earth." Group 
of Four Evangelists supporting an allegorical figure which 
has been variously interpreted. Group which originally 
stood under the centre of the pulpit. The three theological 
Virtues rest on a base on which are carved the Seven Liberal 
Arts and Philosophy ; the figures on the base are assigned 
to a follower. Two lions adapted to carry supporting 
pillars are also in the collection. 

After leaving the pulpit room pass along the cloister 
between fragments of sculpture removed from the bap- 
tistery and other monuments at the time of the restora- 
tion. Mount the stairs, turn to the l., and enter 

The Hall of the Tapestries 

Most of the tapestries are of Florentine manufacture of 
the sixteenth century. No. ii, to the R. of the door of exit, 
represents the death of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, the 
father of Duke Cosimo I. There are also twelve banners 
belonging to the different bands who took part in the 
Giuocco del Ponte. In the centre of the hall : twelve service- 
books, with miniatures of the fourteenth century, except 
No. 8, which belongs to the fifteenth. On a screen : 
Madonna and Child, with SS. Augustine (?), John Baptist, 
John Evangelist and Chiara, by Martino di Bartolommeo, a 
Sienese, and Giovanni di Piero da Napoli, a follower of the 
Sienese school. These painters were working in Pisa at 



56 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the beginning of the fifteenth century. (See No. 34 in 
Sala V.) 

Sala I. — Turn to the l. An Exultet Roll of the eleventh 
century ; the illustrations are in the Romanesque style of 
the time. 

On a pillar, a small statuette in the Pisan manner. 

Part of the ancient girdle^ once used to encircle the 
Duomo at festivals. It is of silk enriched with jewels^ 
enamels^ and small brass plaques. Art of the fourteenth 
century. 

A paliotto of the fourteenth century embroidered with 
scenes of the Nativity and Resurrection. 

Twelve small panels with half figures of saints^ fifteenth 
century. 

An Exultet Roll of the fourteenth century. The cope 
of Pope Gelasius. This Pope consecrated the Duomo in 
1118^ and according to tradition he used this vestment on 
the occasion. It is assigned to the fourteenth century or 
later^ on technical evidence. 

An ivory coffanetto of Romanesque design^ perhaps 
intended to hold a relic. It is said to be a late imitation 
of a fourth or fifth century type. 

In Sala II. there is a collection of crucifixes illustrative 
of Tuscan painting in the thirteenth century. The style is 
not that of Byzantine art properly so called^ nor is it allied 
to the art of Giotto, Pietro Cavahini and the fourteenth- 
century painters. It belongs to the same tradition as part 
of the work in the upper church at Assisi, although it is 
inferior. 

The earlier crucifixes in the museum ; those in which 
the head is erect, the eyes open, the arms straight and the 
feet apart, and in which many of the facts of the life of 
Christ are painted in small scenes, mark the period of 
transition from the Byzantine ideal to the historical ideal, 
which was fully developed in the fourteenth century. 

The thirteenth-century Pisan crucifix neither celebrates 
the victory over Sin and Death in the Byzantine manner, 
nor does it describe the historical incident with the long 



PISA 57 

line of followers in procession to Calvary, the Roman 
soldiers, the sponge and spear bearers, the thieves on their 
crosses and the group of women round the fainting Madonna. 
Christ in the Pisan crucifix is still more of the Victor than 
the Man of Sorrows, and the point of the historical incidents 
turns on the spiritual significance of the tragedy, not on 
their narrative value. 

Turn to the R. 

(24) S. Francis of Assisi. An Italo-Byzantine fragment 
of the thirteenth century. 

(22) Madonna and Child in the Pisan style of the 
thirteenth century. 

(19) A crucifix of the thirteenth century. At the top, 
Christ in Glory. At the sides, the Deposition, Pieta, En- 
tombment, the Maries at the tomb, the journey to Emmaus, 
the resolution of the doubt of Thomas. At the foot, the 
Descent into Hades. This picture has been attributed to 
the time 1150 to 1200. 

(18) Madonna and Child, showing signs of the naturalism 
of the Florentine fourteenth century. 

(17) Crucifix in the style of the thirteenth century, 
supposed to be by Raniero d'Ugolino, probably earlier 
than 1280. 

(16) S. Anna with the Virgin on her knee. A Pisan 
picture of the thirteenth century. Naive in treatment and 
pleasant in colour. 

(15) Crucifixion, Pisan thirteenth century. The head 
is erect, the eyes are open, the feet are divided and rest on 
the suppadaneum. On the left arm of the cross, a small 
picture of the Supper ; on the right arm. Washing of Feet. 
At the sides, the Betrayal, the Maries at the tomb, the 
Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the journey to Emmaus, 
Christ appears to the Apostles. At the top of the picture, 
the Ascension ; at the foot, the Descent of the Spirit. 

(14) Deposition from the Cross, thirteenth century. 

(9) Crucifixion of the fourteenth century. The walls, 
Duomo and campanile appear in the background. 

(7) Madonna and Child. At the sides : l., Annuncia- 



58 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

tion to Anna ; R., Joachim's offering rejected ; l., Joachim 
with his shepherds ; R.^ Anna's vision ; l.^ Joachim's 
vision ; R., Joachim makes an offering ; l.; Joachim's 
dream ; r.^, Joachim sets out with his flocks ; l._, the angel 
warns Anna, the meeting at the golden gate ; r., birth 
of Mary ; l., Presentation in the Temple. At the foot, 
S. Martin shares his cloak with the beggar. 

(5) Crucifix, Pisan thirteenth century. 

(4) St Catherine of Alexandria. The saint before the 
Emperor. She disputes with philosophers ; converts the 
Queen. The condemnation of the saint. The destruction 
of the wheel. The Queen and S. Catherine beheaded to- 
gether. Their burial. The translation of the body of the 
saint to Mount Sinai. 

(3) Crucifixion, Pisan thirteenth century. At the 
sides, Mary and S. John. Peter accused, and the cock 
crowing. 

(2) Italo-Byzantine picture of S. Michael weighing souls. 
He holds a medal with the figure of the Child in one hand, 
and thrusts off the devil, who is trying to draw down the 
scale. 

(i) Christ between SS. Peter and Paul. 

Sala III. — Turn to the r. 

(2) Madonna and Child, with SS. John Baptist and 
Catherine on richly decorated gold background — Sienese 
school, fourteenth century. 

(3) On the upper line. Half-length figures, Pisan school, 
thirteenth century. Christ in the centre ; to l., Madonna 
and S. Catherine ; to the r., SS. John Baptist and Silvester. 
Each figure is under a pointed arch. Note the richly 
decorated robes and the archaic gesture. 

(4) Deodato Orlandi oi Lucca, painted 1301. Madonna 
and Child, with SS. Peter and Paul, and SS. James and 
Dominic. Flat formal work of poor quality, but free from 
early mannerisms. 

(8) Triptych of the Pisan school, fourteenth century. 
The Trinity, with the Four Evangelists. In the R. wing, 
S. James ; and in l., S. John Evangehst. 



PISA 59 

(9) Crucifixion of the Pisan school^ dated 1320. The 
head is erect_, the eyes open : the arms are straight^ the feet 
are crossed and fastened with a single nail. The paintings 
at the side include Pieta^ Noli me tangere^ the Supper at 
Emmaus^ and two uncertain subjects. 

(11) Pisan school^ fourteenth century. SS. Stephen, 
Lawrence, John Baptist and Antony Abbot. 

(13) Sienese school, fourteenth century. Madonna and 
Child. 

(16-23) Parts of the altar-piece painted by Stmone 
Martini for the Church of Sta. Caterina, Pisa : (16) SS. 
Stephen and Apollonia. (17) SS. Luke and Gregory the 
Great. (18) SS. Ursula and Lawrence. (19) S. John 
Baptist. (20) Pieta, Christ between Madonna and S. Mark. 
(21) SS. Agnes and Ambrose. (22) SS. Augustine and 
Thomas Aquinas. (23) SS. Nicholas and Mary Magdalen. 

(24) S. James, perhaps by Lippo Memmi. 

(26) Sienese fourteenth century. Madonna and Child. 
The face of Madonna flat, formless and heavy ; the Child 
alone shows some animation. 

(28) Florentine fourteenth century. Burial of S. 
Francis. 

(29) Florentine fourteenth century. The three cavaliers 
have been identified with Castruccio, the Emperor Louis, 
and Uguccione della Faggiola, who appear in the Triumph 
of Death in the Campo Santo. 

(30) Crucifixion, fourteenth century. Florentine school. 
(32) Tommaso di Stejano (1324-1356). Annunciation. 

A fine piece of decorative work. 

(34) Baptism of Christ, attributed to Buffalmacco. 

(35) Tommaso di Stefano, the Angel of the Annunciation, 
No. 32. 

(36) Sienese fourteenth century. Madonna and Child. 
A beautiful picture, but damaged. 

(39) Bruno di Giovanni, a Florentine painter supposed 
to have been connected with Buffalmacco. S. Ursula 
succouring Pisa. The saint bears the banner of Pisa, 
white cross on red field. The allegorical form of Pisa has 



6o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

black eagles on her robe. The picture is supposed to refer 
to help given in an inundation of the city. 

(43) Nativity. Florentine fourteenth century. The 
Child lies on the ground. Madonna^ a girlish figure in 
white^ kneels. S. Bridget is to the l. Rays of light 
descend from God upon the group. 

(44) A richly coloured picture of the Florentine school 
of the fourteenth century. Death of the Virgin. 

(45 and 46) Story of S. Galgano. 

(48) Madonna and Child. It has been suggested that 
the style of this picture is derived from Lorenzo Monaco. 

In the corner room a very poor fifteenth-century picture^ 
Madonna and Child, by Andrea da Pisa^ probably an assist- 
ant or follower of Benozzo Gozzoli. 

Sala IV. — Begin with a number of fourteenth-century 
Sienese panels : 

On the upper line : (3) King Louis or the Emperor 
Henry. (8) S. John Baptist. (9) S. Barbara. 

On the lower line : (4) S. Matthew. (6) S. Rosalia. 
(7) S.Paul. (10) S.Nicholas. (11) A Camaldolese monk. 

(13) Sienese Crucifixion of the fourteenth century. A 
fine piece of colour^ with the Annunciation below. 

(37) Pisan triptych of the fourteenth century. Madonna 
and Child. To the l.^ SS, Mary Magdalen and Dominic. 
To the R.^ SS. Augustine and Scholastica. A fair example 
of the school and period. 

(17) SS. Boniface and Romualdo. Sienese of the 
fourteenth century. 

(18) Jacopo di Michele. (Gera) Madonna and Child, 
with SS. Mary Magdalen and Margaret. A very moderate 
painting in a fine setting. 

(19) S. Dominic^ on a gold ground with book and lily. 
A fine simple figure with strong countenance. Painted 
by Traini. Direct in vision^ clear in purpose. It has 
been supposed that Traini was born in 1308 — he is known 
to have been working in 1322. He painted the well-known 
" Glory " of S. Thomas Aquinas in the Church of Sta. 
Caterina. 



PISA 6 1 

(23) Florentine fourteenth century. SS. Peter and 
Bartholomew. 

(27 and 30) Madonna and Gabriel in Annunciation. 
Simple work rather crudely decorated. 

(29) Pisan triptych of the fourteenth century. Madonna 
and Child^ with SS. Elizabeth and Lucy. In the L. wing^ 
SS. Bartholomew and Euphrasia ; in the R., SS. John 
Baptist and Ursula. In the predella^ a Pieta with scenes 
irom the life of S. Bartholomew to the r. and l. 

(33) Giovanni di Niccola, probably painting in the middle 
of the fourteenth century. Half-length figures. Madonna 
and Child. To the l.^ SS. John Baptist and Bona. To the 
R.^ SS. Mary Magdalen and Bartholomew. A dull; lifeless 
and flat picture. 

Sala v.— Turn to the r. 

(4) Crucifixion^ Florentine fourteenth - century. A 
historical representation. 

(5) Crucifixion^ ascribed to Luca Toniey a disciple of the 
Sienese Berna. 

(6) Barnaba da Modena, Madonna and Child. 

(7) S. Antony Abbot and S. Bartholomew. Two 
vigorous figures on a gold ground. 

(8) Barnaba da Modena, Madonna and Child. Over- 
decorated. 

(16) Spinello Aretino. Madonna and Child. A charm- 
ing piece of painting. 

(9) SS. Peter and James. Companion picture to No. (7). 
(11) Cecco di Pietro. Painting made in the latter part 

of the fourteenth century^ and once in the Campo Santo. 
Crucifixion^ with SS. Agatha^ Ursula^ Barbara^ Catherine, 
Agnes and Martha. Dated 1386. 

(17) Attributed to Lorenzo di Niccolo Gerini, working 
at the end of the fourteenth century. SS. Antony^ James 
and John Baptist. A vigorously designed picture. 

(22) Taddeo Bartolo (i363(.^)-i422). S. Donnino^ at his 
feet five hooded figures. 

(26) Gentile da Fabriano, Madonna in Adoration of the 
Child upon her knee. A beautiful picture. 



62 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(30) Martino di Bartolommeo Bolgarini, working 1389 to 
1404. Madonna and Child, with saints. A simple^ plain 
piece of work with no affectation. 

(37) Giovanni da Napoli, a follower of the Sienese 
school, working at Pisa in the beginning of the fifteenth 
century. Crucifixion. S. Francis kneels and clasps the 
cross. Dated 1405. 

(42) Getto di Jacopa, a Pisan of the fourteenth century, 
about whom nothing is known. SS. John Baptist, John 
Evangelist, Antony, Dominic, Bartholomew and Louis 
Archbishop. 

Sala VI. — Turn to the r. 

(i) A fifteenth-century picture of S. Ursula, with stories 
from her life. 

(3) Florentine fifteenth - century. Ten martyrs on 
crosses. Christ in the centre. SS. Sebastian and Rocco 
to R. and L. 

(8) Paolo Schiavo, said to have been a follower of Maso- 
lino, who lived in Pisa. Resurrection of Lazarus. The 
picture illustrates the physical aspect rather than the 
mystery of the scene. SS. Peter and John support the 
swaithed figure who stands in a sarcophagus. 

(14) Florentine fifteenth-century. Madonna in Adora- 
tion of the Child, who lies on the ground. Two angels 
kneel on the other side. 

(20) Zanohi Macchiavelli. Virgin enthroned. To L., 
SS. Vincenzo and Zanobi. To the r., SS. Francis and 
Ranieri. The painter was born in 1418 and died in 1479. 

(21) SS. Sebastian and Rocco, probably by an assistant 
or scholar of Dom Ghirlandajo. 

(23) Benozzo Gozzoli (1420-1498). Madonna and Child. 
To L., SS. Benedict and Scholastica. To the r., SS. Ursula 
and probably Giovanni Gualberto. 

(24) S. Anna with Madonna and Child on her knee. 

(25) Neri di Bicci (141 9-1 491). Coronation of Madonna, 
with a vast concourse of saints. 

(28) S. Eulalia of Barcelona. Pisafi work of the 
fourteenth century. 



PISA 63 

In the Corner Room. — S. Catherine of Alexandria^ 
by Lucas van Ley den (1494-1533). On one side Christ 
crowned, and as a full-grown man, puts the ring on 
S. Catherine's finger. On the other side the saint disputes 
with the doctors. 

Sala VII.— Turn to the R. 

(2) Florentine fifteenth-century. Madonna and Child. 
To L._, SS. Apollonia and Frediano. To the R., S. Rosalia 
and a martyr. 

(6) Raffaelltno del Garbo (1466- 15 24). Madonna and 
Child. To L._, SS. John Evangelist and Jerome. To the 
R., S. John Baptist and a bishop. 

(10) Madonna and Child. To l., SS. Antony, Abbot 
and Bartholomew. To R., SS. Catherine and Rosalia. 

(17) Giov, Antonio Sogliani (1492-1544). SS. Jacopo, 
Simone, and Antony the Abbot. 

(19) J5a00z (1477-1549). Madonna and Child. To l., SS. 
Peter and John Baptist. To R., SS. Sebastian and Joseph. 
The Magdalen at the feet of Madonna and S. Catherine. 

(22) Dom Ghirlandajo. Half figure of a girl carrying 
fruit on her head. 

Sala VIII. — To the r. there is a large picture by Guide 
Reni, 

Sala IX. contains a number of portraits. 

Medal Room. Case I. Money of Pisa^ Montalcino, 
Lucca, Volterra, etc. Case II. Money of Arezzo and 
Siena. Cases III. to VII. Money of the Florentine 
Repubhc. Cases VIII. to XL Medicean Money. Seals 
of the commune of Pisa, of some of the arts and of the 
Pisan Ghibellines. 

Sala X. — Sculpture. To the l._, line example of a Roman- 
esque angel. Lions' heads. Capitals in various styles. 
Incised panels from the west front of the Duomo. On the 
window wall rose window from S. Maria della Spina. 

From Sala X. a small room to the r. is entered contain- 
ing models of the mediaeval battles on the bridge, the 
'' Giuocco del Ponte." 

On the other side of Hall X. is Sala XI., with some 



64 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

tapestries^ a number of portraits and vestments^ also 
two pictures by Ghirlandajo, Madonna and Child^ with 
SS. Anthony^ Apollonia^ and two others. Madonna and 
Child^ with SS. Catherine^ Stephen^, Lawrence^ and a 
woman saint. 

Sala XII. — A continuation of Sala X. On the r. and l. 
of the entrance^ busts from the thirteenth-century additions 
to the baptistery. On the wall to the l.^ casts from the 
baptistery pulpit. Madonna and Gabriel in Annunciation. 
Madonna and Child^ glazed earthenware school of Delia 
Robbia. Madonna and Child under a canopy. Madonna 
and Child^ in a circle of fruit and flowers^ school of Delia 
Robbia. Cast from Madonna and Child^ by Nino Pisano^ 
from S. Maria della Spina. A small collection of statues 
in wood^ painted. Sala XIII. — The pictures hung in this 
room are not of general interest. 

S. Francesco 

To the east of the Museo Civico is the Church of S. 
Francesco^ built about 1250. The name of Niccolo Pisano 
has been associated with the work. The building was 
restored in the beginning of the seventeenth century^ when 
the existing characterless facade replaced a pointed design. 
Within^ the church has an enormous area unbroken by 
detail. The nave has no aisles. The choir is little more 
than one of seven chapels that open eastwards out of the 
transept. 

High Altar. The marble altar-piece is by Tomasso 
Pisano (son of Andrea and brother of Nino). The figures^ 
beginning at the l.^ are : S. Benedict^, S. James (?);, S. John 
Baptist. In the centre^ Madonna and Child, S. Peter, 
S. Lawrence, S. Francis. On the predella, beginning to the 
L., Annunciation, Nativity, Christ among the Doctors. In 
the centre, Pieta, Baptism, Resurrection, Descent of the 
Spirit. 

Choir. The frescoes on the roof represent S. Francis, 



PISA , 65 

with figures symbolical of Faith and Hope ; SS. Basil and 
Benedict ; SS. Augustine and Dominic ; SS. Antonio and 
Louis of Toulouse. At the springing of the arches symboli- 
cal figures of Wisdom^ Humility^ Prudence^ Temperance^ 
Penitence^ Obedience^ Fortitude^ Virginity. On the soffit 
of the arch the Twelve Apostles. 

In the first chapel to the l. of the choir remains of frescoes 
represent Christ and a company of saints. 

In the third chapel to the l. of the choir there are remains 
of frescoes^ the' least damaged represent War in Heaven^ 
where S. Michael and his host drive before them the fallen 
angels. 

Over the altar in the northern transept Madonna and 
Child^ with goldfinch^ painted on a gold background. 

In the chapel of the sacristy the frescoes were painted by 
Taddeo Bar tola in 1395. 

On the wall^ to the l.^ the Apostles gather together. 
Beneath^ the Death of the Virgin^ much damaged. On the 
wall^ to the r._, Madonna is carried to burial ; beneath^ the 
Apostles gather round the empty tomb. On the roof^ the 
Four Doctors are associated with the Four Evangelists. 
On the soffit of the arch : S. Agnese (sister of S. Chiara)^ 
S. Rosa (?)^ S. Lucy^ S. Agnes^, S. Apollonia^ S. Catherine^ 
S. Chiara^ S. Elizabeth (?). On the window w^all of the 
chapel: the Annunciation; beneath^ SS. John Baptist 
and Andrew. 

In the Chapel of S. Bonaventura^ which opens out of the 
cloister^ Niccolo di Pietro Gerini painted^ on the end wall to 
the L.^the Last Supper^ the Washing of the Feet, the Agony 
in the Garden, and the Kiss of Judas. On the wall, opposite 
the door, the Flagellation, Christ carrying the Cross, the 
Crucifixion, the Deposition and the Entombment. On 
the end wall, to the r., the Resurrection, Noli me tangere, 
the Ascension. On the wall of entrance, the Descent 
of the Spirit, S. Lawrence, S. John Baptist, and Judas 
receiving the pieces of money. 

. Ugolino was buried in the S.E. corner of the cloister. 
His bones have been since transferred to the church. 



66 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

South-west of S. Francesco is the Church of S. Paolo in 
Orto. The fagade consists of five rows of arcades^ the 
arches of the arcading are dehcately carved. Beside the 
door are Hons with a man's head^ and a dragon between 
their forepaws. 

Return by the Via S. Francesco and turn to the l. into 
the Borgo Stretto. 

S., Michele in Borgo 

This church is situated in the Borgo Stretto near the 
Ponte di Mezzo. The fagade was built by Fra Guglielmo 
(an assistant of Niccolo Pisano); in the years 1304-1313. 
The design of the lower part is probably influenced by 
the existence of an earlier building. The upper part has 
arcading in the Pisan manner^ but instead of the round 
arch of the Romanesque builders the arches are pointed 
and cusped; the general management of the design as a 
whole is less pleasing than usual. Under an elaborate 
canopy over the central door there is a statue of Madonna 
and Child ^ ascribed to a follower of Tino da Camaino. The 
figure is curiously contorted^ the qualities of the Tuscan 
school of sculpture have been disastrously warped by the 
personal idiosyncrasy of the artist. 

This church was originally attached to a Benedictine 
monastery founded in the eleventh century. The columns 
of the nave were brought from Elba in 1040. 

This v/as the meeting-place, in the fourteenth century^ of 
a company of soldiers sworn to protect the people of 
Pisa, and to make peace between the rival Raspanti 
and Bergolini factions. 

Interior. Over the altar to the r. there is an interesting 
altar-piece painted in the manner of the fourteenth century. 
To the L. of Madonna and Child, SS. Michael and Catherine. 
To the R., SS. Peter and Juliana. In front are two angels. 
The dove of the Holy Spirit rests on the head of Madonna. 
The work is done on a gold background and framed in a 
pointed and cusped setting. This solid and dignified 



PISA 67 

picture is probably the most decorative in Pisa. Over the 
altar on the l. there is a marble crucifix. Parts of the 
ancient pulpit are made into confessionals. Four panels, 
supposed to be part of this pulpit^ are fixed on the walls 
of the choir of the Duomo. 

On the wall^ to the r. of the altar : relief of the An- 
nunciation. The drapery is heavy and ungraceful^ but 
the figures are vigorous. It is a piece of fine and sincere 
work. 

In the sacristy there are two panels on gilt backgrounds^ 
SS. Agata and Gherardesca^ gentle^ quiet pictures repre- 
senting people of simple faith and pure feeling. 

S. Pierino 

From the Ponte di Mezzo walk for a short distance along 
the Lung'Arno Mediceo. Cross the Piazza Cairoli. The 
facade of S. Pierino has an arcade of five arches with 
circular panels in mosaic^ and lozenge-shaped coffers. 

Within, a steep flight of steps leads to the nave. The 
arcade is formed of ancient columns, with capitals of 
various designs. The aisles are vaulted. The original 
church was built in 1072, on the site of a heathen temple. 

In the R. aisle there is a crucifix, perhaps of the thirteenth 
century. The background is gilt. The figure has closed 
eyes. The head is slightly inclined. There is an elaborate 
cruciform nimbus. This crucifix belongs to the age of 
transition from the Byzantine conception of Christ as the 
victor over sin, to the mendicant idea of the Man of 
Sorrows. The body is oontorted, and anatomical detail is 
insisted upon. 

The Piazza dei Cavalieri lies to the west of the Borgo 
Stretto. It is reached by the Via del Monte or from the 
Lung'Arno Regio by the Via S. Frediano. 

The Church of S. Stefano in the Piazza Cavalieri was 
built in 1566 and reconstructed in 1680. It was connected 
with the order of S. Stephen, of which the Grand Dukes 



68 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

were Grand Masters. The object of the order was to defend 
the Mediterranean from Turks and Saracens. Within there 
are paintings illustrative of some of the exploits of the 
order. Behind the High Altar there is a bust in bronze of 
a bearded man^ S. Lussorio^ attributed to Donatella, 

The large and somewhat imposing building near by (now 
a training college) was originally the Palazzo degli Anziani. 
In the sixteenth century it was altered by Vasari^ and it 
was connected with the order of S. Stephen. The busts of 
the Grand Dukes^ masters of that order^ are placed above 
the windows. 

In fronts a statue of Grand Duke Cosimo I._, designed by 
Giovanni da Bologna. Near by is the site of the Torre dei 
Gualandi (Tower of Hunger)^ the prisons of the mediaeval 
Republic, pulled down in 1655. " 

S. Sisto (between the Piazza dei Cavalieri and the Via 

S. Eufrasid) 

[This church has been associated with the sitting of the 
famous Council of Pisa in 1409. Two popes, Gregory XII. 
and Benedict XIII., had been elected by rival bodies of 
cardinals. Neither pope would yield, and to end the 
schism the cardinals on their own authority called together 
a General Council. Both popes were deposed and a Fran- 
ciscan cardinal was elected as Alexander V. The Council 
numbered many hundreds of ecclesiastics and a large 
number of laymen, more than could have met in any such 
building as S. Sisto. It is now believed that the Council 
was assembled in the Cathedral, and that the connection 
of S. Sisto with the Council must have been limited to 
more or less unimportant functions.] 

The church was built from booty won from the Genoese 
in a battle fought on the 6th August 1070 — the 6th of 
August being the day of Pope S. Sixtus. The 6th of August 
was a fortunate date for the Pisans. In 1088 they won a 
victory over the Saracens. On the same 'day in 11 12 the 
fleet set sail, which ultimately conquered the Balearic Isles 



PISA . 69 

in 1 1 14. Again^ on the 6th August 1 1 19^ a victory was won 
over the Genoese at Portovenere. 

Over the western entrance there is a small relief of the 
Crucifixion. 

Interior. The nave columns^ some of granite^ others of 
marble^ are from older buildings. To the R. and l. of the 
entrance there are small reliefs illustrating the acts of 
S. Sixtus. 

At the end of the right aisle there is a relief of the Annun- 
ciation. 

In the Via Faggiola^ w^hich runs northwards from 
S. Sisto, is the house in which Leopardi lived in 1827. 

The Church of S. Frediano is reached from the Ponte di 
Mezzo by passing along the Lung'Arno Regio^ and turning 
to the R. down the Via S. Frediano^ in which the university 
is situated. The church is said to have been built in 1007. 
It has a characteristic Pisan facade of seven arches. Note 
the curious mixture of classical and Romanesque forms on 
the lintel of the central door. 

The interior has a dignified nave arcade. In the right 
aisle is a seventeenth-century monument to Johannis de 
Ruschis^ in which the ghastly circumstance of the grave is 
insisted upon with emphasis. 

In the chapel at the west end of the left aisle there is a 
crucifix of the same type as some of those in Sala II. of the 
Museo Civico. The head is erect^ the arms are straight^ the 
feet are apart. The light is so dim that the small surround- 
ing scenes are hardly visible. 

The University^ La Sapienza. 

The study of law^ flourished in Pisa from an early date in 
the twelfth century. The Studio Generale^ however^ was 
discouraged by the Florentines^ and it was not until 1472 
that the university was re-established by Lorenzo dei 
Medici. The building was enlarged in 1543. 

S. Niccolk. This church is reached by a short street of 
the same namic leading out of the Lung'Arno Regio. 

This church, with a convent attached, is said to have 



70 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

been founded on the site of a pagan temple sacred to Ceres, 
by Hugo Marquis of Tuscany in the year looo. It has 
been many times altered and reconstructed. The octagonal 
Campanile, with an open loggia in the upper storey, is 
crowned by a pyramid. Inside there is a remarkable 
staircase. The design of the campanile has been attri- 
buted to Niccolo Pisano. 

Southern Side of the Arno 

Cross the Ponte di Mezzo, proceed along the street 
leading to the station, and take the first turn to the l. 
along the Via S. Martino to the Church of S. Martino, 
originally a priory of Augustinian canons. In the four- 
teenth century the church, hospital and garden were given 
by Pope John XXII. to Count Bonifazio della Gherardesca, 
in return for assistance against the anti-pope. A new 
building was begun in 1332. The upper part of the fagade 
was restored in 1606. 

Over the western door of the church in the lunette there 
is a relief of S. Martin dividing his cloak with the beggar, 
probably by Andrea Pisano, The design is simple. No 
accessories are allowed to blur the effect. The poise of the 
figures, the gesture, the virile type, the contrast between 
the well-found knight and the half-naked beggar, all these 
things make the relief a striking and interesting example 
of the art of the time. 

Enter the church by a door on the northern side of the 
nave. Over the gallery at the west end of the church are 
frescoes which have been attributed to Spinello Aretino : 
the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adora- 
tion of the Shepherds, the Adoration of the Magi, the Pre- 
sentation i;i the Temple. 

In a chapel opening out of the southern side of the church 
there is a small collection of pictures. 

Fourteenth-century frescoes : 

The Angel appearing to Zacharias and the Visitation. 

Fourteenth-century panels : 



PISA 71 

S. Christopher^ S. Andrew, S. Bartholomew, and a bishop. 

Crucifix of Greek design. Madonna and Child in the 
centre ; SS. John Baptist, Peter and James at the ends of 
the arms. 

In a lunette, Madonna and Child in the manner of the 
thirteenth century. 

A crucifix in the native manner ; on the cross bar at the 
top. Madonna and the Apostles gathered at the Ascension. 
At the sides of the crucifix, the Betrayal, the Flagella- 
tion, the Buffeting, Bearing the Cross, the Crucifixion, 
the Deposition, Entombment and Resurrection. 

On the roof, Christ in a mandorla supported by cherubim 
with the Four Evangelists and Twelve Apostles. 

On the northern wall of the church, bust of Madonna 
with the Child ; also a small crucifix in the manner of the 
twelfth or thirteenth century. 

On the south bank of the Arno, Lung'Arno Galileo. 

The octagonal Chyrch of S. Sepolcro was built by 
Diotisalvi before he undertook the baptistery. The three 
doorways still retain fragments of carving in the Roman- 
esque style. 

Interior. The High Altar stands in the centre of the 
church surrounded by an octagon of pointed arches. 
In the ambulatory there are five altars, under one of which 
the relics of the local saint, Ubaldesca, are preserved. 
Near to this altar is an ancient well. 

According to tradition the church was built on the 
octagonal plan so that the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem 
might be placed inside it if it should have to be carried off 
from Palestine for safety from the infidels. 

From the Ponte di Mezzo pass along the Lung'Arno 
Gambacorti on the southern bank of the Arno. 

The first chapel on the left is that of Sta. Cristina. Over 
the altar to the r. is the crucifix (or a copy of it), before 
which S. Catherine of Siena knelt Vvhen she received the 
stigmata. An inscription marks the spot. The figure on 



72 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the crucifix is not dead. The eyes are open^ the arms 
stretched stiffly^ the feet nailed separately. This crucifix 
follows the Byzantine tradition according to which Christ 
appears on the cross not as the Man of Sorrows^ but as the 
Conqueror over Sin and Death. 

Proceed along the Lung'Arno Gambacorti towards the 
Ponte di Solferino. 



S. Maria della Spina 

This chapel was built in 1230 by the family of the 
Gualandi and the Pisan senate. It was originally called 
S. M. dal Pontenuovo. In the fourteenth century the relic 
of the thorn was placed in the chapel^ and in 1390 the chapel 
was enlarged. Its present name became common about 
the year 1400. The building was restored in the last 
century. In its present state it is an example of Italian 
pointed architecture in its most elaborate form. The 
material is white marble^ with courses of grey at wide inter- 
vals. The arches over the windows are turned with 
alternate grey and white marble. On the southern side 
of the chapel abutting upon the street there is a long line of 
sculptured figures : Christ in the centre^ and on each hand 
six Apostles^ in an open gallery with cusped arches and 
crocketed gables. The sculpture has been ascribed to a 
follower of Giovanni Pisano in the early part of the 
fourteenth century. On the fagade are the arms of the 
Gualandi. 

At the salient points of the building statues are placed^ 
and above each rises a richly carved canopy. The small 
scale of the monument alone makes the elaborate treat- 
ment of this chapel possible. We think of a reliquary 
with rich enamels and rows of curiously worked figures 
rather than of a building subject to architectural limita- 
tions. The entrance door opens on to the street. Over a 
closed door to the r. there is a rose window, the original 
of which is now in the Museo Civico. 



PISA n 

Interior. Over the High Altar, a massive Renaissance 
design surrounds Madonna and Child, a figure of large 
good-natured tolerance with all the charm of an easy 
naturalism, by Nino Pisano (a son of Andrea). To the R., 
S. John Baptist, by Tommasd PzVan^ (brother of Nino), and 
to the L., S. Peter, by Nino. At the sides of the altar, 
Madonna and Gabriel in Annunciation. The '' Virtues " 
carved in relief behind the altar are by Andrea di Lazzaro 
Cavalcanti (141 2-1462), a scholar of Brunelleschi. 

At the opposite end of the chapel : half-length figure of 
Madonna and Child, known as Madonna del Latte. This 
is a charming group, worked in a broad and simple style by 
Nino Pisano. The elaborately carved setting is dated in 
1522. 

S. Paolo a Ripa d'Arno 

From S. M. della Spina follow the course of the 
Lung'Arno Gambacorti, until an open space planted with 
trees is reached. The church which faces us is San Paolo 
a Ripa d'Arno, said at one time to have been the Duomo 
of Pisa. To it was attached an abbey of the Vallombrosan 
order. 

The fagade has been dated in the first half of the twelfth 
century. Some of the detail is probably very much later. 
The interior of the church has been placed in the middle of 
the eleventh century. The cupola is of the sixteenth 
century. 

The facade is in general design an example of the local 
manner, but with some individual peculiarities. The 
lower part is of sandstone, and is divided into five by flat 
pilasters carrying a string course on their capitals. Above 
this string course spring five arches. The three to the l., 
ordinary round arches with circular and coffered decora- 
tion ; the two to the r. are pointed in form, with deeply 
cut zigzag decoration. Above these arches another and 
remarkably fine string course crosses the building. Above 
these are three stages of ordinary round-arched arcading, 
with open galleries in grey and white marble. The arches 



74 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of the upper stage are stilted to follow the lines of the 
gable. 

The pilasters to R. and l. of the central door have^ on the 
top of the capitals^ lions of rude aspect. 

Above the arch, over the central door, there are to R. and 
L. reliefs. To the l., Madonna stands with hands outspread 
in prayer. She is closely robed and veiled ; her form is 
stiff and hieratic. The figure is set in an elaborate design 
of columns bound together and supporting an arch with 
carved mouldings. The figure to the R. is also veiled and 
robed; her gesture is deprecatory, her expression mild. 
She stands without constraint. She is set about with 
no framing. The two figures mark the change of temper 
from the Byzantine habit to the romantic tendency of 
Giovanni Pisano and his followers. On the under side of 
the string course at the N.W. corner of the fagade there is 
carving of an unusually savage kind. 

Interior. The church is usually entered by a door in the 
northern transept. Over the altar, Madonna and Child, 
with S. James and other saints painted on a gold back- 
ground. On the nave pillar near by is a fragment of 
fourteenth-century fresco, and in the southern aisle there 
is another fragment. 

The church has a well-defined cruciform ground plan, 
and the effect of the interior is striking. Outside, behind 
the church, is the brick chapel of Sta. Agata of the 
thirteenth century. 

Close to the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, in the street of 
that name and near to the railway station, is the Church 
of S. Domenico, in which is a picture of the Crucifixion 
by Benozzo Gozzoli, Above the cross are the traditional 
symbols of the sun and moon. In the sky are angels : a 
donor kneels at the foot, and in the foreground are four 
figures with palms, and behind them a crowd of saints. 
The physical sufferings of Christ are insisted upon. Blood 
pours from the wounds ; but at the same time no appeal 
is made to the emotions in the expression of the faces. 



PISA 75 

Christ has a passive^ self-controlled air^ and the saints have 
somewhat wooden features. 

Palaces. On the left bank of the Arno^ near the Ponte 
di MezzO; is the Palazzo Comune^ formerly the Palazzo 
Gambacorti^ a building in the pointed style. Near by is 
the Logge dei Banchi^ built in the seventeenth century. 

On the Lung'Arno Mediceo is the Palazzo Lanfranchi 
(No. 15)^ in which Byron lived in 1822. 

In the same street^ near the Church of S. Matteo_, is the 
newly restored Palazzo dei Medici^ which dates originally 
from the eleventh century. Here in 1562 Duke Cosimo I. 
came at the end of a journey through the maremma^ 
which cost him the lives of his two sons^ Giovanni and 
Garzia^ and of his wife Eleanor of Toledo^ all of whom died 
of malaria within a few months of each other. 

In the Lung'Arno Galileo (Nos. 18 and 19) Shelley lived 
in the years 1821^ 1822. 

At the end of the Lung'Arno Galileo^ opposite the Ponte 
alia Fortezza^ is a narrow street leading to house No. 15^ 
at the turn of the road; where Galileo Galilei was born in 
1564. 

S. Michele degli Scalzi 

From the Ponte di Mezzo walk along the Lung'Arno 
MediceO; pass the gate of the town^, and follow the road lined 
with trees which runs along the banks of the Arno. In 
about three quarters of a mile from the gate^ the Church 
of S. Michele degli Scalzi is reached. The campanile of 
stone and brick leans to the S.W. The facade has been 
restored but the lower part still has an arcading of five 
arches with columns and finely carved capitals. 

Over the central door there is a design similar to the 
lintel over the eastern door of the baptistery. A row of 
angels is carved on the lintel^ and above^ in the tympanum, 
is a bust of Christ in the act of blessing. The type is that 
of youthful middle age^ bearded and vigorous. The 
angels have petty features^ with prominent eyes^ heavy 
cheeks, full lips and heavy coils of hair. One bust follows 



76 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

another in stiff and strictly ordered fashion. The general 
effect is distinctly Byzantine. *The work dates from 1204. 
The interior is charming. The dignified simplicity 
gives distinction to a design which has no other claim to 
originality. The nave arcade consists of six columns 
and a pier in the centre. There are no transepts. The 
outline of the apse remains in the severity of its original 
masonry. The last capital to the l. of the High Altar has 
pierced and undercut foliage such as one would expect to 
find at S. Marco in Venice. The nave and aisles are vaulted. 

Excursions from Pisa 

For the excursion to II Gombo and the royal domain 
of San Rossore permission must be obtained in Pisa to 
drive through the Park. 

Bocca d'Arno. A service of tramcars leaves Pisa from 
a station near the central railway station and runs by 
S. Pietro to Bocca d'Arno^ where there is a fine stretch of 
beach edged with pine woods. 

S. Pietro in Grado 

This church may be reached by taking the tram which 
goes from Pisa to Bocca d'Arno. Close to the station of 
S. Pietro a bridge crosses the Arno^ leading to the royal 
estates. The river at this point is a fine stream;, and from 
the bridge there is an interesting view of the Cathedral 
and Baptistery of Pisa^ with the Monte Pisani and some 
of the peaks of the Apuan Alps in the background. 

A walk of about a quarter of a mile from the tram 
station of S. Pietro leads to the church. The coast-line has 
shifted to the westward since Roman times^ and according 
to tradition it was at this spot that S. Peter landed on his 
way to Rome. The church is supposed to have been built 
in its present form about the middle of the twelfth century. 
At the east end there are three apses ; at the west end a 
single apse and a fine campanile. The walls of the apses 
and the church are relieved by flat pilasters. 



PISA 77 

Interior. The entrance is in the northern aisle. The 
church is unusually spacious in effect^ owing to the width of 
the aisles. The nave arcade consists of eleven columns and 
one large pier at the fourth point of support from the west 
end. From these piers transverse arches are thrown across 
the aisles. The nave and aisles have wooden roofs. The 
pillars and capitals are of various designs. The ciborium 
which stands near the west end of the church marks^ accord- 
ing to tradition^ the place where S. Peter celebrated the 
first Communion. The candlestick in the nave is supposed 
to be on the spot where he landed. Above the nave 
arcade are pictures of the Popes^ beginning with S. Peter 
and ending with Clement VI. The pictures and the 
inscriptions are in very bad condition. 

Above the line of these pictures are frescoes representing 
the lives of SS. Peter and Paul. 

Beginning to the r. of the altar : 

(i) Calling of SS. Peter and Andrew. (2) Christ walking 
on the sea. (3) Payment of the tribute money. (4) De- 
stroyed. (5) Command to S. Peter^ " Feed my lambs." 
(6) SS. Peter and John curing the lame man at the gate 
of the Temple. (7) S. Peter miraculously curing sick 
people. (8) Ananias and Sapphira. (9) S. Peter raises 
a sick person. (10) S. Peter in prison. (11) S. Peter 
reaches the Pisan shore. (12) S. Peter goes by ship to 
Rome. (i3)Churchof S. Pietro in Grado. (14) Destroyed. 
(15) Nearly destroyed and of uncertain import. 

Beginning to the l. of the altar : 

(16) Probably represents the Scala Sancta. (17) S. John 
Lateran consecrated by S. Sylvester. (18) Constantine 
orders the building of churches in Rome. (19) S. Sylvester 
and the Emperor Constantine. (20) SS. Peter and Paul 
appear to the Emperor Constantine. (21) Burial of 
SS. Peter and Paul in S. Sebastiano. (22) Greeks beaten 
when they claim the bodies of SS. Peter and Paul. 
(23) Nero and his soldiery. (24) Burial of S. Paul. 
{25) Burial of S. Peter. (26) S. Paul beheaded. 
{27) Crucifixion of S. Peter. (28) Christ meets S. Peter 



78 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

as he flies from Rome. (29) Fall of Simon Magus. 
(30) Much destroyed. (31) Destroyed. 

These frescoes of the lives of SS. Peter and Paul are 
ascribed to the end of the thirteenth century or the be- 
ginning of the fourteenth. 

Behind the altar there is a fragment of fresco with the 
figure of S. Benedict. In the sacristy a processional cross 
of the thirteenth century is preserved. 

An interesting excursion may be m.ade from Pisa to 
Pelaja in the lower Val d'Arno. Leave Pontedera station 
(on the line between Pisa and Florence)^ pass through La 
Rotta^ and follow the road which rises steeply over the hills 
to the south of Val d'Arno, whence there are magnificent 
views to the north. The district consists of a number of 
deep valleys divided by sharp ridges. The road follows 
one of these latter^, and after passing the Villa of S. Gervasio 
the Val d'Era opens out on the R. The picturesque village 
of Monte Castello stands on a neighbouring ridge to the l. 
The time required to drive from Pontedera to Pelaja is 
about two hours. 

Shortly before entering the town, the Pieve of S. Martino 
is reached, a church dating from 1260, which has lately been 
restored. The nave arcades rest on four brick pillars. 
The capitals reproduce Romanesque forms. The semi- 
dome and chapels have groined vaulting, the nave and aisles 
have wooden roofs. In the centre of the nave is an 
octagonal font, and a holy water stoup renowned as the 
Pila di Pelaja. It has been used as a legal measure for 
wine. The church forms a striking object in the surround- 
ing country. 

The town of Pelaja is entered through a picturesque 
gateway, with a fine bastion and bell-tower. In the main 
street is the Church of S. Andrea, with an interesting relief 
in Delia Robbia ware, representing Christ, with saints. 

Pelaja was under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Lucca 
in the eleventh century. The town was ' constantly in- 
volved in the quarrels of Lucca and Pisa, and in later times 



PISA 79 

with the wars between Pisa and Florence. In 1432 the 
famous condottiere^ Niccolo Piccinino^ took the castle (now 
dismantled) when fighting as the Milanese general against 
Florence. From the hill on which the castle stood and 
from the terrace beyond there is a magnificent view of the 
Val d'Era with Volterra in the distance. 

At Gello da Pelaja^ a small hamlet a mile to the W.^ there 
is a picture known as Madonna delle Grazie^ ascribed to 
Giotto^ but more probably the work of some Sienese 
painter. 

The drive northwards from Pelaja is by a very steep 
descent into the valley of the Chiecinella^ and thence by 
a steep ascent into the little town of Montopoli. Thence 
pass along the low ridge of S. Romano to the railway station 
of that name and cross the Arno to Castel Franco. A good 
road leads along the valley towards S. Maria in Monte. 
The town itself is reached by a very steep hill. The drive 
from Pelaja occupies about one and three quarter hours. 

In the Collegiata of S. Maria there is a fine pulpit^ square 
in form^ supported at the back on the side wall^ and in front 
on two pillars resting on lions. It is decorated with pointed 
arcading^ and inlaid sculpture^ white on a dark background^ 
in the Lucchese manner. On the front are fish-tailed 
animals face to face^ and on the plinth hunting scenes with 
stars and rosettes. Behind the altar of the church there 
is a large crucifix. 

The time necessary to drive from S. Maria in Monte to 
Pontedera station may be put at about one hour. 

The excursion to Calci and the Certosa may be made 
either by tram from Pisa (take the Pontedera tram and 
change at Navacchio)^ or by driving direct from Pisa (the 
drive takes about an hour). The road leads straight to 
the foot of the mountains^ across a richly cultivated plain. 
Magnificent views of the Apuan Alps to the north are 
obtained^ and as the road turns along the lower slopes of the 
Monte Pisani the olive woods add to the richness and 
variety of the landscape. Calci is a manufacturing village 



8o . THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

on one of the streams that runs down from the mountains 
to the Arno. The Church of S. Giovanni Evangehsta has 
a fagade of the Pisan type^ that is^ it is formed in round- 
arched arcading with deep coffers under the arches. The 
apex of the gable is supported directly by columns without 
intervening arches. The picturesqueness of the building 
depends^ however^ rather on its colour than its form. The 
principal material is a brown sandstone with bands of 
slate-coloured and white marble. The spandrils of the 
arches are filled with designs of slate-coloured and white 
marble set in square blocks. 

The campanile is an enormous and striking mass of 
building. The lower part is cased in finished masonry ; 
the upper part has been left in rough construction of brick 
and stone. The fine forms of the Romanesque windows 
are well defined. In the church is a Romanesque font. 
Calci was frequently the refuge of the Pisan exiles during 
the time of the Republic^ and was twice sacked by military 
captains^ Hawkwood in 1375; and Piccinino in 1431. The 
painter Guinta Pisano^ who lived in the first half of the 
thirteenth century^ was born here. 

The Certosa^ a Carthusian monaster}^^ is about a quarter 
of an hour's walk from the church at Calci. 

Fee for entrance^ 50 centimes. 

The Certosa was founded in 1366^ but it was restored in 
the eighteenth century and little of the original building 
remains. 

On the upper floor are rooms for strangers^ and from the 
windows there is a fine view of the lower Val d'Arno. 
La Verruca^ an old fortress which stands conspicuously 
on a hill^ was built by the Pisans in 1103. 

The refectory is painted with modern frescoes and 
has a Last Supper in the manner of the fifteenth 
century. 

In the large cloister is a bronze fountain^ and leading 
into the cloister are the cells for the monks. 

In the chapel over the altar are bronze statues attri-^ 
buted to Giovanni da Eologna. 



LUCCA 8i 

The Church of S. Casciano a Settimo may be reached 
from Pisa in about an hour by driving. The tramway from 
Pisa to Pontedera also passes conveniently near. The 
railway station is S. Frediano Settimo^ on the line from 
Pisa to Florence. 

The fagade has five broad arcades^ each arch enclosing a 
circular or lozenge-shaped ornament. The arcades are 
divided by flat pilasters. The three doorways have carved 
lintels by Biduinus (see his work in the Campo Santo Pisa 
at S. Salvatore^ Lucca^ and the Duomo^ Barga)^ much 
damaged by mason bees. The lintel to the r. has a sheep (?) 
between two griffins. On the lintel of the central door the 
scenes are probably the Raising of Lazarus and the Entry 
into Jerusalem. On the left-hand lintel nothing is clear 
except the forms of certain animals. 

The walls of the church and the apse are all arcaded in 
carefully built masonry. The campanile has been restored. 

Interior. The nave arcade has six columns and an 
oblong pier. The nave and aisles have wooden roofs. 
The general effect of the interior is simple and good. 

The church is situated close to the Arno ; in front of the 
building there are avenues of trees and an open space on 
which the sheep belonging to the few^ inhabitants pasture. 



LUCCA 

Lucca lies in a fertile plain. It has been an important 
centre of the trade in olive oil. Its success in the trades 
of silk and wool earned for it the title of " L'industriosa." 
The official centre of the tow^n is the Piazza Napoleone. 
The commercial centre is the Piazza San Michele^ the 
site of the Roman forum. The town had walls in early 
times ; a second circle was built in the twelfth century ; 
in 1 49 1 a third wall was decreed. Civitali was consulted 
and the work was begun tentatively in 1504. In 1561 
the general design was set about seriously and the work 
w^as finished in 1645. Three gates were provided : that of 



82 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

S. Donate towards Genoa, S. Pietro towards Pisa, Sta. 
Maria to the north. In 1809 the Princess Elisa caused the 
Porta Sta. Croce to be opened to the east. On the walls 
a broad road shaded with trees has been made round the 
town. From it there is a succession of remarkable views. 
To the N.W. lie the Carraras (the Apuan Alps), rising to 
6300 feet in Monte Pisanino. To the N.E. are the 
mountains of Pistoia (reaching 3600 feet), and beyond the 
main chain of the Apennines. To the S. are the Monte 
Pisani, of which Monte Serra is about 3000 feet. To the W. 
a line of low hills separates Lucca, from the coast-line of 
the Mediterranean. 

The broad and fertile valley of the Serchio is farmed 
with traditional skill. It is a wonderful land, rich in the 
well-being of thousands of people dwelling in villages or 
scattered hamlets on the lovv^er slopes of the mountains. 
Many of these are ancient places of abode. Arliano has 
an eighth-century church. Quiesa commands sea and 
mountain. Marlia has gardens in imitation of Marly. 
Brancoli has a fine thirteenth-century pulpit. Lammari 
and Segromino have sculptures by Civitali. At Segromino 
Alto there is an ancient church, restored in the twelfth 
century. S. Maria del Giudice has two Romanesque 
churches. It is a gay and smiling landscape. It would be 
hard to be a pessimist on the ramparts of Lucca. 

[The possession of strong walls was probably the cause 
of the prominence of the town at the time of the break-up 
of the Roman Empire, and the reason why it was chosen 
as the residence of the Lombard dukes. These northern 
conquerors added to the importance of the place by 
granting the rights of coining money ; the mint founded 
at this early date was for long a source of wealth 
to the town, and its money became famous throughout 
Italy in the Middle Ages. 

After the death of the Countess Matilda, in 1115, the 
town was ruled by consuls. 

In 1 162 the commune entered into an agreement with 
the Emperor Frederick I., promising submission to the 



LUCCA 83 

Empire^ a clear passage for the Imperial troops through 
the district^ the annual payment of a sum of money^ and 
the furnishing of a certain number of soldiers. In ex- 
change the Emperor consented that the Lucchese should 
be free to elect their own consuls^ who should receive in- 
vestiture from the Emperor alone. The lordship of the 
Marquises of Tuscany over Lucca was thus brought to an 
end. 

In the course of the twelfth century there was a rapid 
development in wealth largely due to the success of the 
silk and wool trades. 

The aim of the citizens^ like that of the other free towns^ 
was to secure civil and political independence^ and they 
used every party^ Guelph^ Ghibelline, Papal^ or Imperial^ 
accordingly as it suited their purpose. 

The necessity of safe trade routes through the surround- 
ing country brought the Lucchese into keen contest with 
the Pisans for the possession of the Castelli. This rivalry 
with Pisa^ whose interests remained steadfastly Imperial 
and Ghibelline^ obliged Lucca to seek allies in the opposite 
camp. She was thus drawn into alliance wuth Florence 
and other Tuscan Guelph towns^ moved by the same desire 
of preventing encroachments upon their independence 
from the Imperial power^ and of protecting their commercial 
interests. 

In her political relations Lucca had thus the good fortune 
to have joined the winning side ; and this good fortune did 
not desert her when her ally^ Florence^ became her enemy. 
The Lucchese were never conquered by the Florentines. 

At the beginning of the fourteenth century Lucca was 
the second^^ city of Tuscany in wealth and extent of 
dominion. In 1308 her possessions extended along the 
coast to the north as far as Sarzana^ including Camajore^ 
Pietra Santa^ and Carrara. She owned several castles to 
the north and east in the Garfagnana, the Val di Lima and 
in the Val di Nievole. 

The^citizens w^ere famed for their magnificence of dress 
on ceremonial occasions^ and could turn out soldiers re- 



84 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

puted to be the best equipped men among the Guelph allies. 
This prosperity^ however^ attained by unity^ was broken 
early in the fourteenth century by quarrels between rival 
factions. The experience of the free towns in this respect 
was alike. Harmony was impossible in a society made up 
of two discordant elements. On the one side were the 
nobles^ feudal by tradition and military in habit ; on the 
other were the citizen burghers^ whose interest lay in the 
welfare of their trade. The party of the nobles was led 
by the powerful family of the Antelminelli^ that of the 
people by the Obizi. 

In 1 314 the clash of these opposing interests gave 
opportunity to a noble of the Marches^ Uguccione della 
Faggiuola^ a clever soldier who had been appointed captain 
of the Imperial forces^ to make himself master of Lucca^ as 
he had already mastered Pisa. His tyranny^ however^ 
was short-lived^ but during its course the town suffered two 
disasters. On the entrance of the victor, the city was 
sacked in a barbarous fashion. The archives were burned, 
and as the result of the triumph of the Ghibelline faction, 
many of the silk-weavers w^ho were Guelph in sympathy 
were exiled, and the silk trade began to decline. 

In 1316 the people rose in sudden revolt against 
Uguccione, drove his men out of the city and placed 
Castruccio Castracani of the Antelminelli, one of their own 
nobles, in power with the title of Captain, Castruccio, 
an able man of commanding presence, had already won 
reputation as a leader of the Ghibelline forces. He made 
himself master of Volterra to the south, of Pistoia to the 
east, and of Sarzana to the north. His title as lord of these 
towns, as well as of Lucca, was recognised by Lewis of 
Bavaria, who made him also Imperial Vicar of Pisa, and 
Senator of Rom.e. His successes aroused the alarm and 
hostility of the Guelph allies, but at the battle of Altopascio 
in 1325 he defeated the combined forces, made 15^000 
prisoners and captured the Florentine Carroccio. A lover 
of magnificent display, he used his victories as opportunities 
for holding great festivals. After the battle of Altopascio 



LUCCA 85 

he made a triumphal entry into Lucca^ on the day of the 
patron^ S. Martin. The Florentine Carroccio formed part 
of the procession^ and the principal captives^ fettered with 
silver chains^ were entertained at a great banquet in the 
Piazza^ and then led off to prison. 

The continuance of such lordship depended upon the 
ability of the ruler ; and when Castruccio died in 1328 his 
sons were unable to maintain their supremacy. 

For nearly tw^enty years the commune passed from 
hand to hand by sale. The sons of Castruccio sold the 
lordship to one of the Malaspina family^ who w-hen attacked 
by the Florentines called upon John of Bohemia for help. 
From him it w^as bought by the Rossi^ lords of Parma, and 
sold again to the Delia Scala of Verona, w^ho offered it to 
Florence. In 1342, when the Florentines were besieging 
the unfortunate city^ the Lucchese opened their gates 
to the Pisans who had come to their aid, and for twenty- 
seven years were subject to their rule. 

This subjection to an ancient rival w^as deeply felt by 
the inhabitants, and in 1369, when the opportunity came of 
buying their liberty from the Emperor Charles IV., great 
sacrifices were willingly made. The citizens built a new^ 
public palace for their Signoria, cast a new^ florin with 
the Imperial effigy, and tore down the fortress tower 
raised by Castruccio. 

Unhappily the root of civil dissensions had not been 
destroyed, and the commune suffered once more from 
the struggles of rival families. 

Paolo Guinigi, a rich merchant, secretly assisted in his 
schemes by the Visconti of Milan, came to have supreme 
control of the city in 1400, and the Signoria was suppressed. 
His rule of thirty years w-as not tyrannical, and the citizens 
prospered. The records of his sovereignty are his palaces, 
and the beautiful tomb of his second wafe, Ilaria del 
Carretto, in the Daomo. 

In 1429 Florence attacked Guinigi, w^ho was betrayed by 
his military captain and imprisoned. A long-drawn-out 
war w^ith Florence followed. The Lucchese territory w^as 



86 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

devastated^ but neither of the parties showed much energy. 
On one occasion indeed the people of Lucca were shaken 
out of their apathy^ when it was found that the Florentine 
architect Brunelleschi was planning the destruction of the 
city by turning the course of the river Serchio. The in- 
habitants^ roused to fury^ tore down his dykes and drove 
the attacking army from the plain. 

Peace was made in 1437;, and while almost the whole 
of Tuscany during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries 
became subject to Florence^ Lucca remained a feeble but 
independent commune^ her territory being limited to a 
radius of six miles from the town. 

Gradually the number of citizens qualified to hold ofiice 
was restricted. The government became a strict oligarchy 
and continued in this form until the invasion of the French 
Republican army in 1799. 

After this period it was the fate of Lucca to become 
the residence of two royal ladies successively. Napoleon 
created it a principality and gave it to his sister^ Elisa 
Baciocchi. In 1816 it passed to Maria Luisa of Bourbon^ 
who bore the title of Duchess of Lucca. Under the rule of 
these ladies several grandiose buildings were erected^ and 
a good supply of water was brought to the town by means 
of an aqueduct. 

The bright little city preserves many traces of its vigor- 
ous civic life and artistic aptitude in the Middle Ages^ and 
also^ it retains something of the leisured tranquillity of the 
period of ducal residences. 

It is still Lucca '' I'industriosa/' but the industries are 
set as it were in an enclosed garden surrounded by avenues 
of trees and green fields.] 

The Duomo, founded in the eighth century^ and de- 
dicated in the name of S. Martin^ was substantially rebuilt 
in 1060 by Bishop Anselmo Bad agio (afterwards Alexander 
II.). The fagade is a work of the thirteenth century (1204- 
i25o(.^)). Additions were made to the choir and tran- 
septs in 1308 ; and the nave was rebuilt in the pointed 
style with vaulted roof from 1372 to 1379. Buttresses 



LUCCA 87 

were also added to the side walls^ to support the extra 
weight of the vaulting. 

Thus^ while the apse is an example of Romanesque art 
in its most defined and dignified form, the nave is an Italian 
adaptation of pointed architecture due mainly to the 
fourteenth century, and the fagade, built in the thirteenth 
century, is one of the later Romanesque designs modified 
by peculiarities unknown except in Lucca. 

The name of the builder or sculptor of the fagade, Gui- 
dectus, occurs on a statue on the first course of the arcade 
with the date 1204. This Guido is said to have come to 
Lucca in 1196, and in addition to the facade of S. Martino 
he is supposed to have finished the fagade of S. Michele 
from the first course of arcading upwards. 

The name Guido occurs in connection with so many 
monuments in this part of Tuscany that it is difficult to 
fix the distinctive personality of each. A Guido rebuilt the 
Church of S. M. Corteorlandi in Lucca in 11 87. A Guido 
was employed at the Duomo of Prato in 121 1. Guido 
Bigarelli da Como made the font in the baptistery at 
Pisa in 1246. Guido da Como made the pulpit for S. Bar- 
tolommeo at Pistoia in 1250. Until further documents 
or inscriptions are found, we can only conclude that, looking 
to the dates, probably more than one artist w^as at work, 
and that perhaps these Guides were of Lombard origin.^l 

The design of the facade is not symmetrical, owing to the 
position of the campanile, which was built at an earlier 
time. Fortunately the designer has preferred to sacrifice 
symmetry rather than to cramp the detail of his plan. 
Unlike the architect of S. Michele, he has kept the fagade 
within the bounds of the church behind it, so that the 
Italian love of breadth and of horizontal line is satisfied. 
It is probable that the facade of the Duomo at Pisa w^as 
built about the same time as this one at S. Martino. The 
Tuscan practice of decoration by column and arch is 
common to both, so is the use of mosaic or inlaid work, 
but the difference in the two designs is more interesting 
than the similarity. At Pisa, the love of order, the respect 



88 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

for precedent^ the reserve and the sensitive appreciation for 
niceties of detail have produced the most typical example 
of Tuscan Romanesque building. At Lucca there is no 
sense of responsibility^ brilliant fancy has free play. 
Instead of an architectural design we have a frontispiece 
to some romance. The sober classicism of Pisa becomes a 
lay of the human soul at Lucca. There is charm in the 
freshness^ in the lively imagination^ in the nervous energy, 
in the spontaneity emulating Nature herself, in endless 
diversity, but the experiment has never been repeated. 

"^The fagade consists of a porch with three arches- and 
three courses of arcading above. At the distance of the 
length of the piazza the building makes a fascinating picture. 
The distinguished spaciousness of the porch, the delicate 
proportions of the arcading, the variety of colour, the 
richness of surface may not be in accordance with academic 
dignity, but even so the visitor will be moved by the feeling 
that for once the medieval spirit has broken bounds, that 
he is not looking merely at one more design made on 
approved tradition. For once we seem to get at natural in- 
flexions of temper and mood, and if the result is capricious, 
if it is perhaps whimsical, it shows also how well understood 
were the limits that could not be overstepped even in 
moments of high fantasy. The pillars which support 
the porch are richly carved. The columns of the arcading 
take many forms. They are twisted, the surfaces are 
carved with symbols of chaotic life or with zigzags, 
chequers, and mosaic. The capitals are marvellously 
elaborate. The spandrils of the arcading are filled with 
inlaid work, dark green stone let into white marble. The 
whole thing is a brilliant spiritual adventure. 

Begin the detailed examination of the fagade with the 
mosaic decoration of the highest storey. (The use of an 
opera glass is necessary.) 

At the left corner of the arcade, a huntsman blowing his 
horn and a dog chasing a stag. Another huntsman with 
a hawk on his wrist preceded by two dogs cliasing a hare. 
Then follows a huntsman on foot^ and a lioness fighting 



LUCCA 89 

with a dragon. Another dragon with a huge tail comes 
next to a battle scene betvv^een a dragon and a stag. A bear 
escapes from the pursuing dogs. Other combats between 
lions and dragons follow\ Finally a wild boar is chased by 
a huntsman and his dogs. 

The figures in the mosaic decoration of the other arcades^ 
as well as the sculptures on the cornices^ pillars and corbels^ 
are all of a similar character — that is^ they represent 
scenes of combat or scenes of the chase. 

Such figures are not fantastic and without significance. 
They are the outcome of the mediaeval belief that all 
created things are signs wTitten by the hand of the Creator 
for the instruction and guidance of mankind^ the invisible 
things of God being made manifest by the visible things of 
this world. The w^orld is therefore one great allegory. 

The origin of the interpretations of the allegory is to 
be found in the Commentaries upon the Scriptures by 
the Fathers of the Church ; and these interpretations were 
amplified and extended in the Middle Ages. 

Hunting scenes and combats were appropriate symbols 
for the w^ay of the Christian through this life^ since the 
whole order of creation involved an eternal warfare. 
Christ and His angels fought with the devil and his host 
for the possession of souls. Man fought^ as with beasts^ 
against temptations. 

The struggle for the attainment of virtue presented itself 
as a drama in which abstract ideas took shape^ appearing as 
angels and devils, wild beasts and their prey^ the hunter 
and the hunted. 

The significance of the chase is as follows : — The hunts- 
man signifies the preacher who brings back spoils from 
the chase when he converts men from evil ways. The 
trumpet is his voice arousing men from slumber and sum- 
moning them to battle. The dogs uttering loud barks 
are the minor clergy sent out by the preachers to warn the 
faithful and recall the erring. The animals chased repre- 
sent different classes of sinners. The stag is the proud 
man^ the lion the heretic^ the hare the voluptuary^ the bear 



90 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 
the cruel man, the wild boar the glutton. The significance 
of the combats between lions and dragons is the warfare 
between good and evil ; the dragon invariably signifies 
the powers of evil warring against the lion as the faithful 
guardian of the Church. 

The cornices are richly carved, the upper ones with a 
broadly treated design of foliage, the one immediately 
above the atrium, with hunting scenes and combats of 
wild animals. 

The pillars of the arcade are in some cases carved with 
hons, sirens and dragons, emblems of outcast and depraved 
spirits. 

The corbels or brackets on the wall space above the 
atnum arches are covered with symbolical sculptures of a 
more specific character than the arcade decorations. The 
corbels supporting the group of S. Martin and the beggar 
represent, on the right, David wrestling with the bear ; in 
front, and above, on the under side of the corbel table, are 
lions confronting dragons. David's victory over the bear 
and the lion signify Christ's victories over avarice and pride 
when tempted by Lucifer ; for the bear was held to be the 
most grasping, and the lion the proudest of all beasts. 

On the left corbel, instead of the resistance of good 
against evil, there is union of evil with evil, dragon with 
dragon. Above, on the corbel table, men's heads are carved 
with dragons coming from their mouths, a Romanesque 
method of symbolising the poisonous words that pass 
through the lips from an evil heart. 

The two corbels on the corresponding space between the 
other pair of arches are, on the right, a young man with 
Samson's braided and unshorn locks clothed in a monk's 
dress, a figure of chastity. The contrasting figure on the 
left is that of an old man clasping the flowing locks of his 
beard, an emblem of carnality. The carving on the under 
side of this corbel is another variant on the theme of the 
poisoned words from the evil mind. In this case the 
adders twist round and attack the brain which has con- 
ceived them. The women-headed dragons, emblems of 




Photograph : J. W. Criticksliank 

GROUP OF S. MARTIN AND THE BEGGAR 
(On the Facade of S. Martino, Lucca) 



LUCCA 91 

the sins of the fleshy countenance the work of corruption 
with smihng faces. 

In these carvings some attempt is made to infuse ex- 
pression into the figures so that they shall not be merely 
signs. The faces reflect something of the strenuous moral 
temper of the age. An effort is made to express the ugli- 
ness of sin^ the effort of virtue. 

The group of S. Martin and the beggar is a masterpiece 
of thirteenth-century craftsmanship. The incident illus- 
trated is that of the saint's charity. According to the 
Golden Legend^ Martin met a poor man almost naked 
outside the gate of Amiens. The saint drew out his sword 
and cut his mantle in two pieces^ giving one half to the 
poor man. That night he saw^ in a vision^ Jesus in heaven 
clothed with the half he had given to the beggar. And 
Jesus said to the angels : '' Martin hath covered m^ with 
this vesture." 

S. Martin sits his horse well. His gesture is natural^ his 
bearing is elastic. He looks like a bold horseman and a 
good soldier. He is robed with classical grace. His head 
is freely poised. His face is a regular oval. The features 
are distinguished. There is a subtle blending of frank good 
temper and mystical exaltation in his expression. The 
head of the poor man is equally strong. He takes his 
share of the robe as one for whom evil days has not lessened 
the dignity of Roman citizenship. The workmanship of 
the horse is less accomplished. The vitality of the head 
and neck is marvellous. The legs are little more than 
formal supports (compare with the horses on the font 
of Robertus at S. Frediano^ made in 1151). It is not 
known who made this group^ or when it was made. 
The date usually suggested is the middle of the thir- 
teenth century. 

The Atrium. The two great piers supporting the central 
arch are covered with sculpture which is both beautiful 
as decoration and interesting from its subject. It is of 
an earlier date than the work on the fagade^ and resembles 
the lintels of Biduinus and Robertus. 



92 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The pier to the left, on the central column, has the Tree 
of the Fall, with Adam and Eve on either side. The 
figures are much broken, but the outlines of a shaggy devil 
at the side of Eve are still recognisable. Above the Tree 
of the Fall is the Tree of Salvation, represented by the 
genealogy of Christ traced through the royal ancestry of 
Mary. In this Tree of Jesse, each of the kings is accom- 
panied by two prophets, foretellers of the Salvation to 
come. 

On the pier to the right, at the bottom, corresponding 
to the Tree of the Fall, is a conventionalised tree guarded 
by two flying dragons. The upper part of the column is 
covered with a finely carved foliage scroll entwining birds 
and other animals. This column may represent the Tree 
of Paradise famous in mediaeval legend, which formed a 
safe refuge for all creatures that remained within its 
branches. Beyond the branches dragons waited to devour 
all who left the shelter. The tree signified the Church, 
the dragons, the devil. 

The capital of this pier, on the side facing the church wall, 
has a group of symbolical figures. On the right hand is the 
Synagogue, her eyes covered by a serpent twisted round her 
head, in her arms a broken banner. Then follows a seated 
person on a throne with attendants, probably symbolising 
the Church and the New Dispensation. 

On the pier against the wall of the campanile is a carving 
of the Labyrinth, with an inscription (Hie quem Creticus 
edit Daedalus est Laberinthus : seq. o. nullus vadere 
quivit qui fuit intus ni Theseus gratis Ariane stamine intus). 
The Cretan Labyrinth with the Minotaur in the centre was 
frequently represented in mosaic on the church pavements 
in Romanesque times. Allegorically interpreted, Theseus, 
who alone was able to thread the maze and conquer the 
Minotaur, signifies Christ, who alone was able to go down 
mto the Labyrinth of Hades, and having conquered the 
devil returned alive. 

The sculptures of the Centre Door. In the tympanum is 
Christ enthroned in an aureole ; below, oh the lintel, stand 



I 



LUCCA 93 

Mary and the Apostles. The two scenes may possibly be 
intended to represent the Ascension. In the spandrils are 
the symbols of SS. Matthew and John. The sculptures 
are lacking in distinction^ for the faces are insignificant 
and expressionless^ and the drapery arranged in imitation 
of classical models is heavy and ungraceful. The shaggy- 
bearded Apostles have neither fire nor individuality. They 
are commonplace types of the ascetic. 

The Right Door has in the tympanum the Martyrdom 
of S. Regulus ; and on the lintel^ the saint converting the 
Arians. The body of S. Regulus^ an African bishop^ was 
transported from a village near Populania to the Duomo 
of Lucca in 780^ and an altar was consecrated to the martyr 
bishop. 

These sculptures show advance upon those of the central 
door. The figures are better proportioned. There is 
more expression by means of gesture^ and the folds of 
the drapery are less awkward and formless. 

On the wall space between the central and side doors are 
two ranges of reliefs. Begin with the upper on the wall 
left of the centre door : 

(i) Martin restores one of his disciples to life^, in order 
that he may receive baptism. The soul of the dead man 
had descended into the lower worlds and sentence had been 
given against him. One of the angels^ however^ said : 
" This is he for whom Martin is pledge." In consequence 
the soul was permitted to return to life long enough to 
receive baptism at the hands of the saint. 

(2) Martin receives the mitre on his election to the 
bishopric of Tours. 

On the right wall, (i) Martin having given his tunic to 
a beggar on his way to churchy revealed his bare arms 
when he raised them above his head in the office of the 
Mass. At the same time a great light of fire^ the flame of 
charity^ was seen to rest upon him. (2) Martin drives out 
an evil spirit from a sick person. 

These sculptures are not very competent but there is 
an engaging simplicity and directness in the way the story 

H 



94 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

is told, and some of the faces are realistic portraits of 
shrewd commonplace people. 

Below these scenes are the twelve months of the year, 
with their appropriate '' labours/' and the zodiacal signs. 
The Labours are traditional figures handed down from 
remote antiquity. Placed upon the walls of churches they 
were reminders, in the first place, that labour had its part 
in the scheme of Redemption. After the Fall man found 
that Nature no longer provided for his needs : the 
human race would have perished had not a remedy been 
found in labour. 

Again these signs recall the mystical analogy which was 
perceived between the work of the priest and the work of 
the sower, tender, and harvester of the crops. From 
another point of view the twelve zodiacal divisions of the 
year which marked the passing of the sun across the 
heavens signified twelve different aspects of Christ in His 
passage through this life. 

Begin with the series on the right, nearest to the door of 
S. Regulus. 

January seated at a fire. February, a fisherman with 
a fish on his line. March prunes the vine. April, a 
young man, gathers flowers. May, another young man, 
on horseback, carries a rose. June cuts the corn. 

The series to the left, July threshes. August gathers 
fruit. September treads the grapes. October prepares 
the wine casks. November ploughs. December kills a 

pig- 

The Sculptures of the Door to the Left in the lunette 

is the Deposition from the Cross, and on the lintel, the 
Nativity and the x\doration of the Kings, all the work 
of Niccolo Pisano, probably about the year 1240. 

The contrast is very marked between these sculptures 
and the reliefs over the other doors. The aim of this 
sculptor is not merely to tell a story in simple straight- 
forward fashion, quickened with pious feeling. His aim 
is to represent the solidity of forms, the weight of bodies, 
the grace and beauty of drapery treated with breadth and 



LUCCA 95 

dignity. He tries " to render the gesture of each figure, 
so that it shall convey the passion that moves it." 

Interior 

[The general effect of the interior of the church is that of 
a building in the pointed style, due to rebuilding, and 
enlargement which was begun in 1308. The transepts were 
increased, and in the course of the fourteenth century 
the roof was raised and vaulted. It was in 1372, after 
consulting experts, that the piers of the nave were strength- 
ened, by adding to them, so that they became octagonal 
as we now see them. In 1379 the thrust of the vaulting 
caused danger to the whole building and the buttresses 
had to be strengthened. In 1452 Marti executed much of 
the fine woodwork in the choir. In 1476 the roof of the 
church was painted with the patriarchs, prophets, and 
kings of the Hebrew people, forming, according to 
mediaeval practice, a vast prophecy of the coming of 
Christ. In 147 5-147 8 the pavement was laid down. In 
1482-1484 the Chapel of the Santo Volto was built. The 
coloured glass in the choir is by Pandolfo Ugolino da Pisa 
(1485). In 1494 Matteo Civitali added the pulpit. 

It will thus be seen that the interior as a whole is due 
to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.] 

In the right aisle, immediately to the R. of the most 
southerly of the three western doors, is an inscription 
commemorating Bertha of Lorraine, the mother of the 
Countess Matilda. 

Over the third altar, the Last Supper, by Tintoretto. 

On the fifth pillar — pulpit by Matteo Civitali (1498). 
The pilasters are of white marble delicately sculptured, 
enclosing red marble panels. 

Turn into the southern transept. Monument of Pietio 
da Noceto hy Matteo Civitali in 1472. In general design 
it is similar to the Bruni and Marsuppini tombs in 
S. Croce at Florence. Above the sarcophagus is the figure 
of Noceto, who was secretary to Cardinal Capranica. 



96 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Under the arch is a rehef of Madonna and Child^ and at 
the sides^ busts of Noceto and his son. Close to the monu- 
ment of Noceto is another work of Matteo Cwitali^ the 
monument of Domenico Bertini^ with a bust. 

Pass into the Cappella Sacramento (the second to the 
R. of the choir). Over the altar are two kneeling angels 
by Matteo Civitali — perhaps the most striking of his works 
in Lucca ; the sentiment of devotion is hardly subtle^ 
although it is just saved from exaggeration. A predella 
of marble is sculptured in the manner of the fourteenth 
century. 

In the chapel next the choir to the R. is the Altar of 
S. Regulus^ the sculpture^ by Matteo Civitali is his most 
important work. Above the altar are three large statues ; 
in the centre^ S. Regulus^ a conventional figure, giving the 
benediction ; at his side^ S. John the Baptist appears as a 
mendicant ; and on the other side S. Sebastian looks like 
an idle young man of fashion. Madonna in the niche over 
the sarcophagus has a certain quality of gravity which 
gives a charm to her formal features. The general tend- 
ency of the monument is towards the grandiose and frigid 
habit of the sixteenth century. 

In the predella are the scenes of the martyrdom of the 
three saints, with busts of Noceto and his son at the ends. 

The Choir is enclosed by screens of white and red marble 
made by scholars of Civitali. The stalls in the choir are 
by Leonardo Marti (1452-1457). The coloured glass is by 
Pandolfo Ugolino da Pisa (1485). 

To the left of the choir is the Altar of Liberty dedicated 
in memory of the liberation of Lucca from Pisa in the time 
of the Emperor Charles IV. The sculpture representing 
Christ in Resurrection, with SS. Peter and Paolino, by 
Giovanna da Bologna (1579), is rhetorical and uninteresting. 

In the second chapel to the l. of the choir, altar-piece 
by Era Bartolommeo, Madonna and Child, with SS. John 
the Baptist and Stephen. The marble work of the altar 
is ascribed to Matteo Civitali, Over the door of entrance 
there is a piece of ornamental sculpture. Northern 



LUCCA 97 

transept : on the northern wall, monuments to a car- 
dinal and two bishops of the Guidiccioni family. Op- 
posite to the door of entrance, the holy water vessel is 
by Jacopo delta Qiiercia. In the centre of the transept is 
the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto (wife of Paolo Guinigi, 
Lord of Lucca), who died in 1405. The monument* was 
made by Jacopo della Quercia shortly after. It is one of 
the earliest pieces of Renaissance sculpture, treated neither 
with the rigour of the fourteenth century, nor associated 
with horrible images of death, such as were common after 
the extinction of Renaissance feeling. It is simple in the 
truest way. There is no affectation of sentiment nor any 
display of technical cleverness. The sculptor has had a 
clear and direct vision ; the result is a generalisation of 
great beauty. (Ilaria was the daughter of the Marquis 
del Carretto, Lord of Massa Carrara. She was married to 
Paolo Guinigi, then a widowxr without children, about 
1403. The marriage was celebrated with the highest 
magnificence, and the bridal pair made a visit to all parts 
of the Lucchese territory in triumph. A son was born 
and called Ladislaus, after his godfather the King Ladis- 
laus of Naples. In the following year Ilaria died, after 
giving birth to a daughter, who was named after her 
mother. Left a widower for a second tim.e, Paolo Guinigi 
speedily married a lady of Varano, Piagentina. In 141 6, 
Piagentina having died the year before, a triple marriage 
was celebrated with great pomp : the father married 
Jacopa Trinci, a daughter of the Lord of Foligno, and his 
children, the son and daughter of Ilaria, who must have 
been about thirteen and eleven years of age, were united 
to members of the families of Camerino and Campo- 
fregoso.) 

In the left or northern aisle is the Chapel of the Santo 
Volto,made by Matteo Civitali, 1482-1484; the chapel is of 
white marble with red panels ; the detail is elaborated with 
gilding and colour. At the back of the chapel is a figure 
of S. Sebastian by Matteo. It is nerveless, and without the 
tension of life. The Santo Volto is an image of Christ in 



98 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

wood^ said to have been carved by Nicodemus. It was 
brought to Lucca in the eighth century^ and received 
widely spread adoration as one of the oldest of the Divine 
images. The figure is clothed in a long tunic^ elaborately 
decorated. The head is slightly inclined^ the eyes are open^ 
the arms stretched straightly on the cross. This image 
was stamped upon the coins of the mediaeval Republic. 

Over the entrance door of the northern aisle Cosimo 
Roselli painted Mount Calvary and the city of Jerusalem ; 
and^ in the foreground^ Nicodemus carving the Santo 
Volto. 

The Sacristy opens out of the r. aisle. Enter by a door 
nearly opposite the pulpit. Over the altar^ Madonna and 
Child; with SS. Peter and Clement^ SS. Paul and Sebastian^ 
by Ghirlandajo — the predella has histories of the saints, 
who appear on the altar-piece above. On the front of the 
altar, marble relief of Bishop Agnello ; above the altar, a 
Pieta. 

On the wall of the sacristy, opposite the entrance, 
Sta. Petronilla, by Daniele da Volterra, In a small chapel 
opening out of the sacristy, three fine tomb slabs of the 
Antelminelli family. 

The building opposite to the door in the northern tran- 
sept of the Duomo is the Treasury. The principal objects 
are : the Pisani crucifix — silver gilt — dating from the end 
of the thirteenth century, with Madonna ; S. John and the 
Evangelists ; at the back, Twelve Apostles and twelve 
prophets springing from the flowers of a tree. Pastoral 
staff (1450). S. Martin divides his cloak with a beggar. 
Two silver bindings for the Gospels and Epistles, dated 
1566 and 1567 ; on one side the Santo Volto, on the other, 
S. Martin dividing his cloak. Coffanetto of 1492 in leather. 
On the outside the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, 
Circumcision, Adoration of the Magi, Massacre of the 
Innocents, Flight into Egypt, Presentation in the Temple, 
Christ among the Doctors. In the inside of the box, the 
Last Supper, the Agony in the Gardon, the Kiss of Judas, 
Condemnation, Flagellation and Bearing of the Cross. 



LUCCA ' 99 

On the inside of the hd^ the Crucifixion. On the outside 
of the hd^ the Deposition^ Entombment^ Resurrection, 
Ascension and Descent of the Spirit. 

Behind the Duomo is the ArcMepiscopal Palace. From 
the courtyard there is a good view of the apse. In the 
Archiepiscopal Library there is an ivory diptych of Areo- 
bindus (dated a.d. 506)^ with a carved design of two trees 
with the cross and the monogram between. 

The buildings next to the campanile^ in the Piazza San 
Martino^ are those of the Monte di Pietk^ founded in 1487. 
The piazza to the north of the cathedral is on the site 
where the houses and towers of the Antelminelli stood. 

S. Giovanni 

In the short street leading from the Duomo to the Piazza 
Napoleone is the ancient Church of S. Giovanni^ restored 
in the twelfth century^ at which period the ground plan 
was altered to that of a Latin cross. In the early part of 
the fourteenth century the church was damaged by fire ; 
at the end of the century important restorations were 
made and the large baptismal chapel opening out of the 
northern transept received its present form, the cupola 
having been built in 1 39 1 . In the fifteenth and seventeenth 
centuries further restorations were undertaken ; the 
fagade dates from the latter period. Fortunately the 
western doorway retains its mediaeval form ; it is similar 
to that of S. Cristoforo, the influence of the pointed style 
being slightly more apparent than in the doorways of 
S. Giusto, S. Salvatore, etc. The splayed jambs have 
columns and mouldings from which rises an elaborately 
moulded arch, with crouching figures at the springing. 
Within the arch is a small rose window. Above the lintel 
is a deeply cut string course of foliage, and on consoles, 
above the column, are lions. The lintel rests on corbels, 
each carved with the figure of an angel. On the lintel. 
Madonna, two angels, and Twelve Apostles are carved. 
Madonna is in the attitude of prayer, the angels raise 



100 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

their hands as if taking part in some ritual, the Apostles 

are grouped in pairs ; all are clad in classical drapery. 

The design is strictly balanced and symmetrical. The 

workfis less rude than that on the lintels of the Duomo ; 

/' . . . . 

it is/ however, curiously fantastic. The expression varies 

from- that of harsh dogmatism to shrewd humour, the faces 

are deeply lined, the features are whimsical, the pose and 

gesture are awkward. We seem to see a society so far out 

of touch with ordinary humanity that individuality has 

reached the verge of the grotesque. 

Interior. The nave has an arcade of round arches 
springing from five columns. Two of the capitals have 
birds and animals carved on them. The aisles have 
domical vaulting, the nave and transept wooden roofs, 
richly gilt and coffered. The apse is of plain, unadorned 
masonry, the fresco which has been painted on the semi- 
dome fortunately does not interfere with the general 
effect. At the foot of the pillar next the transept, on the 
L. side, there is a Pieta. On the western wall of the northern 
transept, remains of a large fresco. Madonna and Child, 
with SS. Nicholas, Catherine, Barbara and others. 

Opening out of the northern transept is a large baptistery 
chapel, with groined and vaulted roof due to the restora- 
tion of the fourteenth century. It contains the modern 
baptismal font, and in the centre there are remains of 
Roman building and pavement. 

In the Via della Rosa, at the back of the Archiepiscopal 
Palace, is the small church of S. Maria della Rosa, standing 
on the site of an ancient foundation. In its present form 
the building is mainly due to the middle of the fourteenth 
century, between 1333 and 1358. The building was re- 
stored in the seventeenth century, and again in the nine- 
teenth. The cornices and mouldings are richly sculptured, 
and the capitals have delicate foliage, cut in sharp relief. 
The five windows are very elaborate ; they have four 
pointed lights under a round arch. The exterior is a good 
example of the ornate Italian pointed style. In the 



LUCCA loi 

interior^ four light columns support round arches ; both 
nave and aisles are vaulted. Mr Montgomery Carmichaei 
says that the oldest known altar dedicated in honour of 
the Immaculate Conception is in this churchy it dates 
from 1333. 

In the sacristy is a small image of the Virgin^ with the 
ancestors of Christy springing from the central design. 
Above is Christ with the book^ in the act of blessing. 

In the Piazza Napoleone is the Palazzo Provinciale^ the 
seat of the prefecture and the public services. It occupies 
the site of the palace of the Signoria. During the lordship 
of Castruccio the palace was enlarged ; walls and tow^ers 
were built^ and later a ditch was added to the defences. 
Paolo Guinigi again added to the palace^ and finally^ in 1578^ 
Ammanati began the new palace. In the time of Napoleon^ 
his sister^ the Princess Eliza Baciocchi^ lived here (1805)^ 
and after the resettlement of Europe the empress known 
as the Duchess Maria Louisa occupied the palace. 

The building contains a small . Picture Gallery. En- 
trance in the archway to the second courts on the l. In 
the vestibule are a number of fragments of sculpture and 
mosaic from various churches. A pilaster from S. Giorgio^ 
a fine example of the treatment of foliage and animal 
sculpture. 

A carved column from S. Giorgio. 

A pillar from S. Michele showing the system of inlay. 
A ciborium for holy oil. A Roman mosaic from S. Gio- 
vanni. A small screen of the twelfth or thirteenth 
century^ with a bird eating fruit. Another with birds 
drinking from a cup. High on the wall is a fine mediaeval 
frieze. 

Enter the large hall upstairs. Sala IV. 

Fra Bartolommeo. The Father Eternal. SS. Mary 
Magdalen and Catherine in ecstasy. 

Fra Bartolommeo — Madonna of Mercy. 

Turn to the l. and pass through Sala III. and Sala II. 
to Sala I. 



102 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Crucifix by Berlinghieri Berlinghiero painted at the end 
of the twelfth or early in the thirteenth century. 

Crucifix by Orlando Deodato^ dated 1288. 

Madonna and Child^ by Orlando Deodato. 

Marriage of S. Catherine^ by Angelo Puccinelli^ painted 
probably about 1350. The attendant saints are Peter^ 
John^ Gervasius and Protasius. 

Madonna and Child of the Florentine school ; sec. xv. 

Madonna and Child^ with SS. Mary Magdalen^ Bar- 
tholomew^ Martin (?) and Antony of Padua^ by Zanobi 
Macchiavelli. 

Sala II. Madonna and Child^ with saints^ by a follow^er 
of Fra Filippo Lippi. 

Immaculate Conception ; beneath^ SS. Augustine, 
Anselm^ Antony of Padua and Kings David and Solomon. 
Compare with the picture in San Frediano. 

Altar-piece ; Madonna and Child, with SS. Peter and 
Sixtus, by Bernardino del Castelletto (end of the fifteenth 
century). 

Sala III. Portrait of Giuliano dei Medici (?) by Pont- 
ormo. 

Pass through the entrance hall (Sala IV.) and enter 
Sala V. 

Sketch for Tintoretto's Miracle of S. Mark. 

Crucifixion, by Guido Reni. 

Immaculate Conception, by Giorgio Vasari. 

Cardinal Leopoldo dei Medici, by Sustermann. 

Portrait of a youth in the manner of Rembrandt. 

Portrait of Cardinal Carlo dei Medici, by Sustermann. 

Portrait of a Venetian Senator, by Tintoretto. 

In glass cases : Etruscan remains, crosses, medals, etc., 
attributed to the seventh century a.d. Medals, seals and 
coins relating to the history of Lucca. 

Return through Sala IV. and enter 

Sala VI. Choir stalls (sec. xv.) by Leonardo Marti — 
from the Church of S. Agostino. 

Sala VIII. Two pieces of sculpture by Matteo Civitali. 

Bas-relief by Nicolas Civitali. 



LUCCA 103 

Sala X. — Statuette^ Madonna and Child^ attributed to 
Giovanni Pisano. 

Magnificently gilded altar in the pointed style^, in the 
Pisan style of the fourteenth century. 

Madonna and Child; by Nino Pisano. 

Romanesque capitals^ etc. 

From the Piazza Napoleone proceed along the Via 
Vittorio Emanuele. Take the first turn to the r.^ into the 
small piazza in which S. Alessandro stands. The church 
was built or perhaps reconstructed by Pope Alexander II. ^ 
in honour of his holy patron. The nave is supported by 
ancient columns with Corinthian and composite capitals. 
The nave and aisles were covered with vaults in the six- 
teenth century. 

Return to the Via Vittorio Emanuele^ and take the 
turning to the l., which leads into the Piazza S. Romano. 
The present church dates from 1290. It is an immense 
building without aisles^ decorated in a somewhat ex- 
travagant style. Behind the High Altar is the tomb of 
S. Romano (the gaoler whom S. Lawrence baptised). 
The marble relief is by Matteo Civitali, 1490. The martyr 
is represented as a youth with long hair clad in armour^ 
with his sword lying on his body. In the arch above^ 
Christ appears with outspread arms. This relief does not 
rank with the sculptor's finest work. He has nevertheless 
surrounded the figure of the young soldier with a romance 
that gives an unusual air of distinction to the monument. 

From the Piazza Napoleone the Via Nazionale leads to 
the Piazza and Church of S. Michele. 

S. Michele 

This church stands in the market-place on the site of 
the Roman Forum. It is said to have been founded in 
tlie eighth century and dedicated to S. Michael^ but the 
building we see to-day is a construction in the Pisan 
Romanesque style of the eleventh or twelfth century 



104 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The upper part of the fagade is the work of Guidectus 
of Como^ who made the fagade of the Duomo. This ex- 
aggerated frontispiece is uncomely in its proportions ; it 
gives an inharmonious profile to an otherwise dignified 
and stately building. 

On the summit is S. Michael^ with large gilt wings^ 
standing on the dragon^ and holding the Imperial ensign^ 
a globe surmounted by a cross^ by means of which sign 
he has power over all devils. 

The lowest storey has arcades of the Pisan type with 
lozenge ornaments in the arch heads. The four upper 
storeys have arcades of round-headed arches supported by 
pillars of every variety of form and colour : some carved^ 
some bound together by knots^ others twisted or inlaid 
with mosaic designs. The spandrils are filled with white 
figures inlaid upon dark green stone. As on the Duomo^ 
the subjects of the mosaics and of the carvings are prin- 
cipally scenes of the chase^ and of combats between wild 
beasts. Every part of the fagade is alive with some 
struggling creature pursuing^ or pursued^ in attack or in 
defence. The aim of this lively imagery is not simply to 
please the eye or touch the fancy. It is the result of the 
belief that all the visible things of this world are signs 
written by the hand of God for instruction in the invisible 
things of the spiritual world. Lions^ dragons and griffins 
in conflict or devouring their prey present an image of 
the battlefield of life. On one side Satan and his hosts 
strive by temptations and assaults to get possession of the 
souls of men ; on the other side the heavenly militia, led by 
the Archangel Michael, assist the Church and its ministers 
in saving and converting the sinner. 

From the mediaeval point of view, the conversion of the 
sinner was fitly signified by the work of the huntsman 
sending out men and dogs to capture wild beasts. The 
huntsman is the priest, who in pursuit of the soul sends 
out his dogs, the preachers ; the barking of the dogs is the 
voice of the preacher ; the quarry represents different 
classes of erring souls : the hare stands for the voluptuous, 



LUCCA 105 

the lion for the angry^ the stag the proud^ the wild boar 
the gluttonous. At the extreme r. of the first arcade is 
a little group which gives the clue to the symbolical 
meaning of the hunting scenes. A figure seated on a 
throne gives an episcopal staff to another^ who in his turn 
hands a long-shafted cross to a still smaller man. Below^ 
and on either side^ are huntsmen inciting their dogs (see 
the illustration). Besides the chase and the scenes of com- 
bat, there are several single figures of animals w^hich can 
be identified from the illustrations in the " Divine Bes- 
tiaries/' mediaeval histories of the symbolism of animals. 
In the first arcade, for example, almost above the central 
door^ is the ostrich with its egg. The ostrich w^hich leaves 
its eggs to be hatched by the sun is a type of the man who 
gives all his thoughts to spiritual things. On the same 
frieze, a little farther along, is the ibis feeding upon a 
snake instead of fish, a type of the man who prefers evil 
to good. 

The cornices are carved with a boldly designed leaf 
scroll, the lowest one bearing also carved animals and 
scenes of the chase. 

Above the lintel is a small wheel window ornamented 
Vv4th mosaics. 

The lintel has a classical moulding, and below it 
rudely carved figures of griffins, lions, dragons, a 
siren, and a centaur, with a small image of S. Michael in 
the middle of them. These are probably the unclean 
birds, the foul spirits, the lions, dragons and centaurs 
which marked the desolation of Babylon (Rev. xviii. ; 
Isaiah xxxiv^. 14). They are symbols of heretics of 
Antichrist and of the devil. 

At the right corner of the building is a statue of the 
Virgin, by Matteo Civitali. It is supposed that this 
sculpture was placed here by Domenico Bertini in 1479, in 
thanksgiving for the ending of the plague. The words, 
*' salutis portus," are carved on the corbel, together with 
the Bertini arms. 

The south wall, flanked by the campanile of six storeys. 



io6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

has a finely carved cornice with hunting scenes and com- 
bats. At the corner on the north wall there is an old 
statue of S. Michael standing on the dragon. 

Interior. The nave arcade is composed of six columns, 
and one pier next the transept. The capitals are generally 
Corinthian in form^ and the circular arches which spring 
from them are plain. The transept is more important 
than is usual in a Lucchese church. The apse has no 
decoration other than the fine masonry of which it is 
built. The simplicity of design^ the comparatively small 
number of component parts, and the severe detail give 
to this interior (as also to the interiors of S. Frediano and 
S. Maria Forisportam) a stringent austerity, contrasting 
strongly with the fourteenth-century interior of the 
Duomo. 

First altar to the r. Altar-piece by Filippino Lippi, 
SS. Rocco, Sebastian, Jerome, and Helena, the latter with 
the cross. 

On the wall of the transept, near to the apse, crucifix, 
with scenes from the Passion at the sides, and the Annun- 
ciation at the foot. To the l. of the apse, relief of 
Madonna and Child, part of the monument to Bishop 
Silvestro Giglio, by Baccio di Montelupo and his son 
Raffaello. 

On the south side of the piazza is the Palazzo Pretorio, 
with a loggia, built in 1492. The Via Calderia leads to the 
Church of S. Giusto. 

Between the Piazza Napoleone and the Via Fillungo is the 
Church of S. Giusto, an exceedingly picturesque example 
of Tuscan Romanesque. The building dates from 1040, 
the fagade from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. 
The upper part is faced with courses of white masonry. 
The two upper storeys have round-arched arcading. The 
lower part is of plain masonry. The central doorway is the 
main feature of the exterior. The capitals of the door jambs 
are carved with a Romanesque variant of Corinthian foliage. 
The lintel itself is covered with bold and vigorous foliage, 



LUCCA 107 

strong in character^ in high rehef^ and of symmetrical 
design. The fruit and leaves are the conventionalised 
growth of the vine. Above the lintel is a deeply carved 
cornice with animals among the foliage. The inner 
mouldings of the arch are plain^ and spring from consoles 
bearing rude but highly expressive heads. The outer arch 
springs from lions set on consoles. It is richly carved. 
The proportion of the doorway^ as a whole^ is heavy. The 
effect^ nevertheless^ is striking^ and the design is a fine 
example of the fresh outlook of the Romanesque sculptors 
in Tuscany. 

In 1662 the inside of the church was renewed in the taste 
of the time. It would be impossible to give an adequate 
idea of its trumpery magnificence. It is understood that 
the church will be restored to its ancient simplicity. 

In the Via Fillungo is the Church of S. CristoforO; dating 
from the eleventh century. It was enlarged in the twelfth 
century by Diotisalvi^ the architect of the Pisan baptistery 
(see the inscription on the l. wall of the interior). The 
elaborate sculpture and the rose window of the facade 
probably date from the last years of the thirteenth 
century. 

The doorway of the west front has^ instead of flat 
pilasters as at S. Giusto^ splayed jambs with columns and 
mouldings^ and capitals wath stiff conventionalised forms 
like those of the western door of the baptistery. The 
lintel is carved with deeply cut and vigorous foliage some- 
what in the style of the S. Giusto lintel. The design is, 
however^ less strictly conventional^ and the sense of the 
growing branch is lost. 

The lower part of the facade has an arcade of five arches. 
Above these runs a richly carved cornice. Among the 
foliage a man and dog hunt a bear ; a man fights with a 
bear ; a lion stands on a serpent or dragon ; a lion bites 
the neck of a dragon ; a beast grasps a woman in his 
fore paws. 

The upper part of the fagade is filled with a rose window^ 



io8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and the corbels under the eaves of the upper gable have 
pointed arches. 

Interior. The nave arcade is of mixed piers and columns. 
The nave and aisles are vaulted but not groined. On 
the second pillar to the R. an inscription records the burial- 
place of Matteo Civitali^ with the date 1501. 

The Church of S. Salvatore is about five minutes' walk 
from the Piazza S. Michele on the line of street which leads 
to S. Frediano. 

S. Salvatore dates from the end of the eleventh century. 
Over the southern door there is a carved lintel by Biduinus 
(last half of the twelfth century). In the centre^ S. Nicholas 
appears standing in a pot or vessel. His arms are raised 
and supported by two attendants. At each side there is 
a domed chapel^ with towers at the sides. No adequate 
explanation seems to have been given of this strange work. 
The jambs of the door are flat^ with capitals closely re- 
sembling those of S. Guisto. 

Over the western door there is another carved lintel 
executed in a ruder style. It represents the story of the 
child, Deus Dedit — the son born to childless parents as the 
result of prayer to S. Nicholas. The child was carried off 
as a slavC;, and made to serve at the table of a king, where 
we see him presenting the cup (to the l.). The child wept 
when he thought of his father's house, and suddenly he 
was carried up in a great wind, and set down with his cup 
at his father's house. S. Nicholas on the lintel is shown 
seizing the child by the hair and lifting him up. To the 
right of the lintel the father and his family are seen keeping 
the feast of S. Nicholas. The child is welcomed and serves 
at the table. 

Interior. The nave arcade of four arches rests on piers, 
like the nave arcades of S. Simone and S. Pietro Somaldi. 
The church is very plain, and has a square east end. 

Close by is the Church of S. Maria Corteorlandini, so 
called because built on the site of the houses of the Rolan- 
dinga family. The ancient church was rebuilt by a certain 





-^.-. 



Photograph : J . W . CriiickshanJz 

SOUTHERN DOOR OF S. MICHELE, PAVIA 

Compare with the Romanesque doors of S. Giusto, S. Salvatore, etc. 

at Lucca 



LUCCA 109 

Master Guido in 1187. It has been frequently restored, 
and in 17 19 the form was entirely changed. On the north 
side there is a picturesque loggia. The door on the south 
flank has some of the old sculptures. There is a good 
campanile of brick. 

Proceed into the Via S. Giorgio, turn to the r._, take the 
Via del R. Liceo to the l.^ which leads directly to the 
Church of S. Frediano. 

S. Frediano 

The interior of this church is the most important of 
the buildings which are characteristic of Lucca. These 
churches differ from the finest of the Lombard churches 
in simplicity of construction. As a rule the plain column 
is used instead of piers or clusters of piers and columns ; 
the choir is seldom raised more than a step or two above 
the nave ; domes or lanterns are uncommon. At Pavia and 
in Milan we feel the force of tendencies that were to grow 
into the balanced structure of the pointed style. In the 
Romanesque churches of Lucca we trace the natural de- 
velopment of the form common in early Christian buildings, 
rather than the beginnings of the style that was to be 
perfected at Chartres. The sombre magnificence of 
Lombardy is exchanged for a certain lightness and gaiety 
tempered by severe habit. 

According to tradition a church was founded by the 
Bishop Frediano, an Irishman, in the sixth century. At 
the end of the seventh century it was restored and probably 
enlarged by the aid of Lombard officials and the authority 
of the Lombard kings. Early in the twelfth century the 
prior Rotone undertook the rebuilding, which for a time 
after his death did not prosper. In 1140, however, it 
was carried sufficiently far to permit the placing of the 
holy relics of the saints, and in 1147 Eugenius III. conse- 
crated the church. The orientation of this new building 
was changed so that where the western door originally 
stood there is now the apse, a new construction of the 
twelfth century. The campanile dates from 1223. It 



no THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

is oblong and quadrangular. The arches and shafts of 
the openings are of white marble. 

In the upper part of the fagade there is an immense 
mosaic representing Christ seated, His r. hand raised in 
blessings His l. resting on the book. Two angels support a 
mandorla of rainbow colours enclosing his figure. Beneath 
stand the Twelve Apostles in a formal row. They are robed 
in classical style and wear sandals. Most of them carry a 
closed roll. The gesture is abundant but stiff and purely 
formal. The features are rendered with little skill. They 
are much less intimate than the figures on the lintel of 
S. Giovanni — but also less barbarous than these or those 
on the lintel of the central door of the Duomo. The figure 
of Christ is unskilful in design. The total effect^ however, 
is solemn and characteristic of the Italo-Byzantine style. 
The mosaic was restored in 1829. 

The interior consists of a nave and two aisles. On each 
side a series of chapels has been added. The nave arcade 
consists of eleven fine columns, with capitals of various 
designs based on classical models. The arches are round 
and plain in construction. An immense height of plain 
walling, broken only by small clerestory windows, rises to 
the roof. The austerity of a design mainly due to the 
twelfth century has produced an interior which is the most 
striking in Lucca. 

To the L. of the entrance door is the Visitation, of the 
school of Ghirlandajo. To the r.. Madonna and Child, 
with saints, by Amico Aspertini, a pupil of Francia. 

Near the entrance is a great baptismal font, intended 
for the rite of immersion, the work of Magister Robertus, 
one of a group of early Tuscan sculptors who were engaged 
chiefly in Pistoia, Pisa and Lucca. The scenes are sym- 
bolical of baptism, and chiefly relate to Moses as the Saviour 
of the Jewish people, and as a type of Christ. 

Begin with the part of the font facing the nave. A little 
to the L., a group of men and women with a hare and a 
goat, showing signs of grief. Beside them, to the r., a 
woman with a child and a person seated on a throne. 



LUCCA III 

perhaps Pharaoh. These figures may represent the suffer- 
ings of the Jews in captivity under the Egyptians. A man 
holding a dragon by the tail ; beside him a tree with the 
bust of Christ in an aureole. This may be the miracle of 
Moses' rod turned into a serpent. Then follows Moses 
kneeling before the burning bush ; the rout of Pharaoh's 
host in the Red Sea; Moses receives the Tables of the Law ; 
Moses enthroned as the Lawgiver. Beyond this are seven 
single figures under pointed arches. In the centre is 
Christ as the Good Shepherd^ with three figures on either 
side^ probably the Apostles. 

The analogy between Christ and Moses was interpreted 
somewhat as follows : — Moses brought the first Law^ 
Christ brought the second. Moses led the Jewish people 
from the bondage of Egypt to the freedom of the promised 
land^ Christ led the human race from the bondage of sin 
to the promise of the Eternal Kingdom. The rod^ which 
thrown down became a serpent^ and when caught by the 
hands of Moses became a rod again^ was a symbol of the 
power and office of the priest. The passage through the 
Red Sea (red as a symbol of the blood of the Saviour) was 
a figure of the passing through the water of baptism when 
all sins are blotted out. 

The sculpture has many of the characteristic qualities 
of Romanesque art. There is little grace or beauty of line^ 
but there is vigour and sincerity. The heads are dis- 
proportionately large^ the faces broad and flat. There 
is a different spirit in this work from the carvings in the 
atrium of the Duomo and at S. Giovanni. Here there are 
no ascetic wire-drawn figures^ no wry faces. The men are 
bold^ active human beings^ capable of energetic movement. 
Byzantine influence appears in the height of the crown of 
the head above the line of the eyebrows. 

On the wall opposite the font^ an Annunciation in glazed 
ware, by the school of Andrea della Robbia. 

Enter the Chapel of Madonna del Soccorso. At the end 
are two tombs of the Guidiccione family. 

The second chapel is dedicated to Sta. Zita^ one of the 



112 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

patrons of the city. Zita Bernabovi (1218-1278) became^ 
at the age of twelve^ a maid in the house of Pagano FatinelH. 
In time of scarcity she gave to the poor from her master's 
stock of food. The loss was made good miraculously. 
This Divine recognition and other incidents in her pious 
and charitable life are painted on the walls of the chapel 
which belonged to the Fatinelli family. She was canonised 
by Pope Nicholas III. Her anniversary^ the 27th April; 
is one of the popular festivals of the city^ maid-servants 
in particular celebrating it by presenting flowers. 

On a pier separating the Chapel of S. Zita from the aisle 
is a statue of S. Bartholomew^ in glazed ware^ from the 
school of the Delia Robbia. 

On the wall to the r. as we re-enter the aisle of the church 
is a baptismal font^ by Niccolo Civitali, 

Pass along the aisle and enter the next side chapel^ that 
of the Assumption. On the R. wall of the chapel^ relief^ 
in painted wood; of the Assumption of the Virgin^ by one 
of the family of Matteo Civitali. 

On the side wall of the same chapel is a picture which 
Mr Montgomery Carmichael has identified as representing 
the Immaculate Conception^ by Francia, Madonna kneels 
before the Father Eternal^ who touches her with a rod. 
BeloW; Solomon and David; with SS. Augustine and 
Anselm. The kneeling figure is probably the Franciscan^ 
Dun Scotus. 

In the predella the pictures are explained by Mr Car- 
michael : (i) Abbot HelsinuS; Abbot of Rumsey^ is saved 
from shipwreck on condition that he should solemnly 
honour the Festival of the Conception; and that he should 
preach it. 

(2) A lay brother offers to attest the truth of the Im- 
maculate Conception by passing through the fire with a 
religious brother who doubted. The lay brother passes 
through the fire and is preserved by the Virgin. 

(3) A man prayed to be delivered from the temptation 
of taking revenge. Madonna causes his sword to be 
twisted in the scabbard so that he cannot draw it. 



LUCCA 113 

(4) The child of a Bergamesque woman fell from a height 
but recovered at the prayer of the mother to the Virgin. 

In front of the High Altar some ancient mosaic has been 
preserved. 

To the L. of the altar is an enormous stone^ connected 
with the miraculous acts of S. Frediano. 

Pass down the l. aisle. Enter the Chapel of the Sacra- 
ment. Altar-piece (1422) in stone by Jacopo delta Querela, 
In the centre^ Madonna and Child ; to the l., SS. Barbara 
and Lorenzo ; to the r.^ SS. Girolamo and Sigismondo. On 
the predella^ S. Catherine ; Martyrdoms of SS. Barbara 
and Lorenzo ; the Pieta ; S. Girolamo and the lion ; 
miracle of S. Sigismondo. The sculpture is placed in a 
setting of florid pointed design^ each figure in a separate 
niche. The forms are solid and squarely set ; the rendering 
of character has been considered^ rather than any attempt 
to reach an ideal of beauty : Madonna has a certain stolid 
dignity ; the drapery is heavy and tortuous ; the work 
is vigorous rather than charming. 

Under the altar is the tomb of a Saxon^ King Richard^ 
who died here in 722^ on the way to the Holy Land. On 
the floor of the chapel are the tomb slabs (141 6) of the 
donors^ Trenta and his wife^ by Jaeopo delta Querela ; 
the figures are of civilian type^ pillowed^ cushioned^ and 
surrounded by ineffective drapery. 

Pass down the l. aisle and enter the Chapel of S. 
Augustine. The frescoes are by Amico Aspertini (1510 ?). 

On the under side of the entrance arch^ the Flagella- 
tion, the Washing of the Feet, the Last Supper, the 
Agony in the Garden. 

On the roof, God the Father, surrounded by prophets 
and sibyls. 

On the L. wall in the lunette, the Entombment ; be- 
neath, the bringing of the Santa Volto, and the baptism 
of S. Augustine. 

On the R. wall in the lunette, S. Augustine gives the 
rule ; beneath, the Nativity ; S. Frediano traces the 
course for the Serchio. 



114 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Cross the Piazza S. Frediano and enter the Piazza del 
Mercato. The houses surrounding the market stand on the 
site of a Roman amphitheatre. To the east close by is 
the Church of S. Pietro in Somaldi. 

S. Pietro in Somaldi dates from the eighth century^ and 
was reconstructed at the end of the twelfth. The general 
effect of the facade is very good. The lower part is of 
grey sandstone^ the two upper storeys are of black and 
white marble with round-arched arcading dating from the 
middle of the thirteenth century. 

On the lintel of the main doorway Christ is represented, 
with S. James^ and S. Peter^ who receives the keys. The 
faces are of the same primitive and insignificant type as 
those of the figures on the lintel of the Duomo. The arch 
above has a fine carved mouldings and on the consoles are 
the usual lions. 

The interior is very simple. The nave arcade is sup- 
ported by piers, as at S. Simone and S. Salvatore. The 
nave and aisles are vaulted. Over the first altar to the 
L., S. Antonio and four saints. On the first pier to the 
R. is a fragment of fresco — Christ bound to the pillar. 

There is a fine campanile. The lower part is of sand- 
stone, the three upper storeys of brick, with marble shafts 
in the openings. 

From the piazza in front of S. Pietro in Somaldi take 
the short Via del Fratta, which leads into the Via S. 
Francesco and to the Church of S. Francesco, which dates 
from the year 1228. The lower part of the fa9ade is 
covered with marble ; there are also two picturesque 
tombs. 

A slab on the r. wall between the third and fourth 
altars marks the burial-place of Castruccio Castracani. 
Between the second and third altars, tomb of Giovanni 
Guidiccioni. In the chapel, to the r. of the choir, there are 
remains of frescoes, the Sposalizio, etc., by Benozzo 
Gozzoli. 

At the corner of the Via S. Andrea is the Palazzo 
Guinigi, and opposite is another palace, No, 15, belonging 



LUCCA 115 

to the same family, constructions of the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries. 

Not far from this point is S. Simone^ a small church 
dating from the end of the twelfth century^ and finished 
in the thirteenth. 

The nave arcade is carried on square piers ; the capitals 
are carved with dentils. The nave and aisles are vaulted. 

From the Piazza S. Michele the Via S. Croce leads 
directly eastward through the town to the Porta Elisa ; 
from this thoroughfare the Church of the Servi^ the Oratory 
of S. Giuletta and the churches of S. Maria Forisportam 
and SS. Trinita may all be conveniently visited. 

From the Piazza Bernardini take the street to the R., 
which leads to the Piazza of the Servi. 

S. Maria del Servi. The church was given to the order of 
the Servites in 1257. In the fourteenth century it was 
remodelled and it has since been modernised. It is without 
aisles. On the r. w^all of the nave the setting of the second 
altar is by Niccolo Civitali (son of Matteo^ born 1482). 

In the southern transept^ monument to a Genoese 
noble^ Giano Grillo, middle of the sixteenth century. 
Note the exaggerated proportions of the putti. In the 
choir^ behind the altar^ Coronation of the Virgin^ fifteenth 
century. In the chapel opening out of the northern 
transept^ the arch over the altar dedicated to the Sacra- 
ment is by Matteo Civitali. 

In the sacristy^ a crucifix^ much damaged^ ascribed 
to the school of the Berlinghieri (Berhnghiero had sons^ 
Bonaventura^ Barone and Marco, working in the first part 
of the thirteenth century). The figure on the cross has 
the head erect^ the eyes open, the arms extended straight 
from the shoulder, the feet spread stifiiy apart. The 
small pictures at the side represent Madonna, the two 
Maries and S. John ; the thieves on their crosses ; the 
Entombment and the Maries at the tomb. On the arms 
of the cross, the symbols of the Evangelists. 

A turn to the l. out of the Piazza Bernardini leads to the 
Oratory of Sta. Giuletta. 



ii6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Oratory of Sta. Giuletta. The fagade is covered with 
marble^ red and white^ with three arches^ and above a 
pointed window with two Hghts. The hntel of the door is 
carved with foHage. The foundation is supposed to date 
from the eighth century. The building was reconstructed 
in 1295 and the marble decoration of the fagade was 
added in 1344. Within^ there is a remarkably fine example 
of a crucifix ascribed to the sons of Berlinghiero, and there- 
fore probably dating from the early part of the thirteenth 
century. Originally there was a gold background. At 
the top of the crucifix there is a small figure of Christ 
with angels ; the figure on the crucifix is expressionless^ 
the eyes are open^ long hair falls on the shoulders^ the 
arms are stretched out straightly. At the side are large 
figures of Madonna and S. John ; beneath them small 
pictures of the thieves on the cross. On the cross board 
at the bottom^ the Deposition and the Maries at the 
tomb. 

In the Palazzo Mazzarosa (Via Sta. Croce^ No. 26) there 
is a small collection of pictures^ shown to visitors through 
the courtesy of the owner. In the courtyard of the Palace 
are a number of fragments of sculpture^ Etruscan urns^ 
and a relief of Christ on the Mount of Olives by Biduinus. 

Opposite is the Church of Sta. Maria Forisportam. 

An early foundation^ reconstructed in the eleventh or 
twelfth centuries. In 1512 alterations were made in the 
height of the building. 

The lower part of the fagade has an arcade of seven 
arches^ and under six of these there is the diagonally 
shaped coffering similar to the form used in the Duomo 
of Pisa ; the arcading is carried round the side of the 
church. Above the first storey of the fagade^ two storeys 
are finished with arcading of round arches. 

The doorways are set between two of the pillars forming 
the arcade of the lower part of the fagade. In each case 
the design looks cramped. The jambs of the doors are 
flat pilasters^ as at S. Giusto^ in distinction to the splayed 



LUCCA 117 

jambs with pillars of the baptistery and S. Cristoforo. 
The capitals of the pilasters are also variants of the Corin- 
thian style as at S. Giusto. 

On the door to the l. the lintel is carved with a 
symmetrical design ; a lion and griffin with a rose 
ornament between them are carefully set in moulded 
panels. The action is balanced. The animals seem 
to fulfil a hieratically conceived function. Above the 
lintel is a fragment of^ sculpture supposed to be a 
survival of the older church. On a finely carved chair^ 
the back of which is built up of two turrets^ Madonna is 
seated with the Child. She is crowned ; her hair is care- 
fully dressed in long pleats ; her robe is symmetrically 
arranged ; her head is large and out of proportion to the 
rest of the design^ the gaze is fixed ; the figure of the 
Child is damaged ; the dressing of the hair in two long 
pleats is repeated. 

Over the lintel of the door, to the r.^ a bishop stands in 
the attitude of blessing. The lintel is divided into panelled 
compartm.ents, each with a rosette or other ornament. 

The central doorway has an unusually elaborate lintel, 
carved with foliage of free design and good execution. 
Above is a classical-looking cornice. In the tympanum is 
a late relief in marble, a Coronation of the Virgin — at 
variance with everything around it. 

The interior has a nave arcade of six columns, and one 
oblong pier in the centre. Neither columns nor capitals 
are uniform. The masonry has escaped whitewash and 
plaster, and is of fine quality. This interior is a fine 
example of the idea of the ancient Roman basilica applied 
to the purpose of the Christian Church ; it may also be 
accepted as typical of Lucchese practice. It is true that 
the transept has been added to, or at least accentuated as 
compared to the ancient model, but if the visitor will sit 
in the nave near the western door and look towards the 
choir, he will see how the classical spirit has modulated 
the disposition of every part so as to make a harmonious 
whole. The history of many churches in Lucca and Pisa 



ii8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

is similar. An ancient foundation fallen into decay was 
reconstructed or restored in the twelfth century^ the 
decorated fagade being frequently added in the thirteenth. 
The dignity^ the restraint^ the reasonableness of this 
twelfth-century Renaissance shows that there was in this 
part of Tuscany a public taste and an artistic tendency 
well fitted to receive and develop the genius of Niccolo 
Pisano. The builders of Lucca had also sympathies with 
the romantic element in Romanesque practice. It is to 
their credit that they knew how to use the good of both 
schools. 

Behind S. Maria Forisportam is the Church of SS. 
Trinitk;, dating from the sixteenth century. In a niche 
in the wall in the r. aisle is a seated three-quarter-length 
figure of Madonna and Child^ by Matteo Civitali. The 
expression is formal and the work as a whole is lifeless and 
insipid. 

Excursions from Lucca 

To the north of Lucca is the picturesque mountain 
village of Brancoli; with a Romanesque church and an 
interesting pulpit. Brancoli may be reached by train 
taken to the station Ponte a Moriano^ or by carriage from 
Lucca. 

The approach to the village is by a winding road through 
chestnut woods. Those who walk will find a good and 
direct path up the hillside. 

The Pieve is built on a little plateau^ and from the 
terrace shaded by cypress-trees there is a most magnificent 
view over the whole plain of Lucca. The campanile is 
unusually high^ and is crowned with battlements as though 
intended for defence. 

The rectangular pulpit is supported by short columns^ 
two of which rest on the backs of lions^ one crushing a 
soldier (the proud man)^ the other mastering a dragon 
(the devil)^ symbols of the vigilance of the Church. 

The sides of the pulpit are divided into panels by a flat 



LUCCA 119 

arcading^ and at the top and bottom are boldly cut foliage 
scrolls. Under the reading desk^ supported by an eagle, 
is a seated crowned figure holding a book^ a symbol of the 
Gospels. The pulpit may be compared with those at 
Barga,, and S. Bartolommeo in Pistoia. It is probably a 
work of the thirteenth century. In the church there are 
also a holy water basin and an octagonal baptismal 
font, both probably of an earlier date than the pulpit. 
The basin has reliefs of twg trees, a dragon, a human head, 
and the head of a ram. 

A pleasant excursion may be made to the ancient Parish 
Church of Arliano, which may be reached by train taken 
to the station of Nozzano ; or by a drive from Lucca of 
about an hour and a half. 

The road crosses the Serchio, at Ponte S. Pietro, and 
follows a level course among fertile fields, until within 
half-a-mile of Arliano, where the hill country begins. 
The church stands against a background of hillside 
covered with pine-trees, acacias, and a vast extent of 
grey aromatic shrubs. From the level of the church, and 
more especially from the cloister, there is a beautiful view 
over the mountainous surroundings and over the valley 
full of corn, vines, and olives. 

The ancient church dates probably from the eighth 
century. The old weathered facade is decorated with an 
arched corbel course, and narrow arcades divided by 
shallow pilasters. The three doors are rectangular, and 
over the centre door is a round arch with a sunk lunette. 
This fagade is supposed to be an untouched example of the 
architecture built during the rule of the Lombard kings. 
In the interior is a relief of the Pisan school. 

S. Maria del Giudice 

A delightful afternoon excursion may be made to 
S. Maria del Giudice, a village which lies at the foot of the 
Monte Pisani. In the village is the Romanesque Church 



120 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of S. Maria. The walls are arcaded in the usual manner 
and a modernised campanile has been built upon the apse. 
The roofs of the nave and aisles are of wood. The nave 
arcade is formed of four columns and one pier next to the 
apse. The capitals are carved with elementary leaf forms. 
At a few minutes' distance is the old Pieve^ also built in 
the Romanesque style. The arches of the arcading on the 
facade are set in black and white marble. Within^ the 
nave arcade is composed of four columns and one pier 
next the apse. The capitals are of various forms^ two 
of them being of elaborate classical design. The roofs 
are of wood. Both of these churches are charming ex- 
amples of a style in complete harmony with the surround- 
ings. After visiting them it is worth while to leave the 
carriage in the village and climb the steep road which 
leads up the mountain-side for a mile or two. 



BAGNI DI LUCCA 

The Valley of the Serchio^ in its upper part^ is known as the 
Garfagnana. It lies between the Apennines and the Apuan 
Alps (the mountains of Carrara). A line of railway already 
runs up the valley from Lucca for about fifteen miles to 
Bagni di Lucca^ and it is being continued through the 
Garfagnana to join the line which connects Spezia with 
Parma at Aulla in the Val di Magra. This district shares 
with the Garfagnana the distinction of being the finest of 
the mountainous parts of Tuscany. The forms of the 
Apuan Alps are of extraordinary grandeur^ while the 
valleys of the Serchio and its largest affluent, the Lima^ no 
less than the numerous clefts through which mountain 
torrents join the larger rivers, have the picturesqueness 
and beauty of a northern type which adds piquancy to the 
southern life abounding on all sides. The lower slopes of 
the mountains are covered with forests of chestnuts. 
Against the sky-line villages are outlined on the mountain 
ridges in what seem almost impracticable places. On the 



BAGNI DI LUCCA 121 

river level there are factories for cotton and paper making. 
The district everywhere shows signs of active life and 
general well-being. 

The most convenient centre for exploring this part of 
the country is one or other of the villages that together 
are known as Bagni di Lucca. The station is at the point 
where the Lima flows into the Serchio. Less than two 
miles distant is the village of Ponte a SerragliO; and a 
mile farther on is the village of Villa. 

Between these points the river Lima makes a sharp turn 
round the base of a steep hill upon which stands Bagni 
Caldi^ reached from Ponte a Serraglio by a fine road 
winding up the face of the hillside^ or from Villa by a 
delightful footpath on the farther side of the same hill. 
There are baths at each of these places. Bagni Caldi 
consists mainly of the summer palaces of the Grand Dukes 
of Tuscany^ converted into hotels. The views of the Lima 
Valley and the surrounding mountains are fine. 

Ponte a Serraglio is situated in a narrow gorge through 
which the Lima forces its way. The bridge and piazza are 
picturesque. 

Villa is the official centre ; the valley is more open than 
at Ponte a Serraglio^ and although there are no very distant 
views the characteristic chestnut forests and the torrent of 
the Lima give a peculiar charm to the place. 

A visit to the village of Benabbio will serve to give a good 
general idea of the district. Cross the bridge over the Lima 
in Villa and take the road which is carried up the hill. 
The walk occupies about one and a quarter hours^ and as 
the road approaches Benabbio exceedingly fine views are 
obtained of the Apuan Alps. 

The church of Benabbio is simple. The nave arcade has 
five pillars on each side. The roofs are of wood. At the 
back of the high altar there is an altar-piece^ Madonna and 
Child; with S. Peter to the r. and S. Bartholomew to the l.^ 
each accompanied by another saint. The picture has a 
fine pointed setting and a gold background. In the 



122 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

pinnacles the Father Eternal and the Annunciation are 
represented. In the predella^ the Assumption of Madonna. 
The picture may have been painted by some follower of 
Fra Filippo Lippi. 

Half-an-hour higher up the mountain-side stands the 
ancient Chapel of S. Michele. The view from this point 
stretches over a vast succession of mountain and valley 
on all sides. 

BARGA 

Barga may be reached in about three hours from Bagni 
di Lucca (Villa). There is a postal service twice a day in 
each direction between the railway station of Bagni di 
Lucca^ and Barga. A line of railway is also in course of 
construction through the Valley of the Garfagnana. The 
road lies on the eastern bank of the Serchio. At Fornaci it 
leaves the valley^ the rest of the way being a long and fre- 
quently steep climb. At a short distance from Fornaci is 
the church of Loppia. The place was destroyed by the 
Lucchese in 1230 and there is nothing now but the church 
and a farmhouse. The building is of the Pisan type with an 
arcaded west front and a semicircular apse at the east end. 
A further steep climb leads to the town of Barga^ about 
1500 feet above the sea-level. It overlooks the Valley of 
the Serchio. To the west it commands the range of the 
Apuan Alps^ and to the east rises the main chain of the 
Apennines^ dividing Tuscany from Emilia. Barga and 
most of the neighbouring towns were in early times subject 
to Lucca^ the Rolandinghi mentioned in 939 being the 
ruling family. In 11 69 the Lucchese destroyed the towers 
in Barga after quelling a rebellion^ and in 1298 the walls 
were dismantled by the Lucchese. After the death of 
Castruccio Castracani in 1328 the townsmen placed them- 
selves under the protection of Florence. 

Enter the town through a castellated gateway and keep 
to the line of steep streets to the r. The Duomo stands 
in the highest part of the town. From the piazza the view 
is striking. The western fagade is a plain face of walling. 



BARGA 123 

The lintel over the central door is carved with the growth of 
vine. At the end of the lintel the figure of a man is shown 
cutting one of the branches. The significance of the act is 
probably not connected with pruning. The work is by 
Biduinus^ the sculptor of the lintel at S. Salvatore in Lucca^, 
the lintel of S. Cassiano in Val d'Arno^ etc. 

The campanile of the Duomo has an ancient and time- 
worn aspect not warranted by its architectural detail. 
On the northern flank of the church there is a closed door 
with some interesting remains of carving. 

On entering the church there is a wide transverse bay 
with the baptismal font to the l. 

The nave proper has an arcade of large round arches 
resting on four piers. The choir is raised by the height of 
four steps and is divided from the nave by an elaborate 
screen of red marble panels enclosed in white marble 
pilasters and cornices. The jambs of the entrance to the 
choir have delicate mosaics^ birds feedings lions^ etc._, and 
on the cornice there are a number of heads carved in 
Romanesque style. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir there is an elaborate 
ciborium for holy oil in glazed terra-cotta of blue and white 
ware. Three putti stand above. At the sides are two 
candle-bearing angels. Two other angels guard the door. 
The monument is supported on two horns of plenty. 

In the choir there is a crucifix^ probably of the fourteenth 
century^ and a picture of Madonna and Child; with saints^ 
of the fifteenth century. 

To the L. of the choir there is a fifteenth-century altar- 
piece : SS. Joseph; John the Baptist and Benedict. 

The pulpit is the most important monument in the 
church. It is four square supported on four pillars. Two 
of these rest on lions^ one of which has a dragon in its paws 
and the other a man who drives his sword up to the 
hilt in the lion's throat. A third column is supported on 
a crouching dwarf. One of the capitals of these pillars is 
carved with birds and an animal. The subjects carved on 
the sideS; the Nativity^ Annunciation^ Adoration of the 



124 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Magi^ are set under pointed arches. The composition of 
the four symbols supports the reading desk. The cornice 
of the pulpit has a rich Romanesque treatment of foliage. 

The design of the pulpit shows great elaboration through- 
out. The architectural detail is carefully carved^ surfaces 
are wrought with mosaic patterns. The detail of the story 
is well followed; as in the maid spinning in the scene of 
the Annunciation. Joseph appears with his budding 
rod; etc. The monument at a little distance is most 
picturesque^ but the power of the sculptor over his figures 
is vastly inferior to his control of decorative detail. The 
men and women do not move^ the gesture is pointless^ the 
drapery is crudely treated^ the expression is harsh^ the 
work is uncivilised and at the same time conventional. 
It is a tableau vivant without a spark of emotion. We 
miss the vigour, the spontaneity, the imaginative force 
of fine Romanesque sculpture. 

In the Church of Sta. Elisabetta is a large altar-piece in 
coloured terra-cotta of S. Thomas receiving the girdle from 
the Virgin, framed in a garland of fruit and flowers. At 
the top is S. Bernardino's monogram of Christ. 

In the Church of S. Francesco are several pieces of Delia 
Robbia ware. Above the high altar the Assumption of 
the Virgin in polychrome. On the l. as you enter, 
S. Francis receiving the stigmata ; on the R., the Nativity. 

Gallicano. From Bagni di Lucca (Villa) to Gallicano, 
the road lies up the western bank of the Serchio. The time 
occupied in driving is about two hours. On the way several 
torrents which come down from the Apuan Alps are crossed. 
The beds of these torrents are narrow and deep, with pre- 
cipitous rocks and dense chestnut woods. The small town 
of Gallicano is built on the torrent of the Perosciana. The 
Church of S. Jacopo stands on rising ground to the l. of 
the town. Over the second altar to the l. there is a striking 
example of glazed terra-cotta, perhaps by Giovanni delta 
Rohbia, Madonna with the Child is seated on a raised 
throne. Two angels hold a crown over her head. To the 



GALLIC AN 125 

R., S. Catherine of Alexandria^ and a saint with a budding 
staff ; to the l._, S. Benedict and S. Giulietto. 

A path leads from the church up to the Rocca^ whence 
there is a fine view into the corries of the Apuan Alps. 
The castle was demolished in 1371^ when Lucca reconquered 
the town^ its inhabitants having rebelled at the instance 
of one of the Antelminelli family who had been expelled 
from Lucca. The town built on either side of the torrent 
has picturesque streets with a fine background of wooded 
mountains. 

An interesting excursion to San Cassiano di Controne 

may be made by driving along the Lima Valley^ passing 
Villa Diana and Fabbriche to Astroccacia^ then by mule- 
path up the hillside to San Cassiano in forty minutes. 
For those who prefer to walk or ride from Villa^ take the 
road to the l. after passing end of the bridge over the 
Lima, follow the mule-path to Gombereto, along the 
course of a torrent. Chestnut woods cover the mountain 
slopes, and here and there are small water mills for grinding 
the chestnuts, built upon impossible-looking clefts of the 
ravine. From Gombereto the path rises to S. Gimignano, 
a small knot of houses with a piazza and a cafe like most 
of these mountain villages. At this point Monte Prato 
Fiorito comes into view, rising above a high upland plain 
with many villages. From here the path descends rapidly 
through magnificent oak woods, rises again under the cliffs 
of the lower slopes of the mountain, and finally drops into 
the village of S. Cassiano, which stands clear against the 
sky on a ridge. On all sides are vast chestnut forests, and 
far below lie the valleys formed by the tributaries of the 
Lima. 

The church is a Romanesque building, said to date from 
the ninth century. The massive tower looks as though it 
had been built for purposes of defence. The fagade of the 
church and the tower are decorated with shallow arcades 
in the Tuscan Romanesque style of the twelfth century. 

The lintel is carved with an interlaced design. On the 

K 



126 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

capitals are lions and two human figures^ perhaps repre- 
senting the Pharisee and the Publican. The tympanum is 
filled with a leaf scroll^ encircling a star-shaped flower. 
Below are three figures^ which it has been suggested 
represent Christ between the two thieves. The figure on 
the L. perhaps indicates the unrepentant thief. The carved 
mouldings of the architrave have a row of animals and 
interlaced designs. At the summit^ under the cornice^ is 
a blue and gold enamelled plaque representing a man on 
horseback. 

On the northern wall of the church there are small 
narrow windows of an early date. 

The roof of nave and aisles is vaulted but without groin- 
ing. The east end is square. The massive columns have 
both plain and carved capitals. The weight of the arch 
rests on two narrow abaci. Behind the high altar is an 
old wooden painted statue of S. Cassiano^ wearing his 
bishop's mitre. The saint^ according to tradition, was a 
schoolmaster of Imola who was martyred in the fourth 
century. When convicted of being a Christian he was 
delivered to his pupils, who killed him with their pens. 



PISTOIA 

Pistoia is one of those small towns which help us to 
gauge the immense vitality of Italian life. It would be 
rare to find in France, or Germany, or England, a place of 
similar size, with the traditions of an independent state, 
public buildings of artistic distinction, a cathedral, cam- 
panile and baptistery, and a number of churches dignified 
by the work of great sculptors. It is true that, except the 
silver altar front in the Duomo and the glazed frieze on 
the Ospedale del Ceppo, there is nothing on a large scale, 
but some of the monuments are of first-rate importance. 
For instance, there are three notable pulpits : one of the 
finest works of Giovanni Pisano, in S. Andrea ; a character- 
istic pulpit attributed to Fra Guglielmo, a disciple of 



PISTOIA 127 

Niccolo; in S. Giovanni Fuorcivitas ; and a fine Roman- 
esque pulpit in S. Bartolommeo. 

In the details of these works we find interesting com- 
parisons between the ideals of the Romanesque and the 
Pisan school. Take^ for example^ the lion supporting 
the pillar in S. Bartolommeo and the lions under Fra 
Guglielmo's pulpit. The Romanesque beast is enormously 
strong in the neck^ the shoulder and the forearm ; he has 
a fine mane and a deep jaw ; but he is an ideal lion treated 
with recognised convention and bearing the anthropo- 
morphic stamp of a school more concerned with the study 
of the bestiaries than of nature. The Pisan lion^ on the 
other hand; is in the first place a magnificent beast and to 
this quality any other significance is subordinate. Such 
sculpture marks the victory of the naturalistic school. 

In addition to the sculpture within the churches^ there 
are various characteristic lintels and tympana^ of which 
the finest is that over the main door of S. Andrea. The 
work is conventional but the decorative quality is un- 
usually developed. 

[The history of Pistoia as an independent city is not a 
long one in comparison with many other Tuscan towns ; 
but the character of the people^ their extraordinary valour 
and the virulence of their feuds for a couple of centuries 
made the career of the commune stormy and picturesque. 

The story of 'the town becomes important with the rise 
of the commune early in the twelfth century. Before that 
period Pistoia was one of the strongholds of the Conti 
Guidi; a powerful family owning castles in the Casentino 
and in the district of Empoh. Members of the Guidi 
family were bishops of Pistoia from the middle of the 
eleventh to the end of the twelfth century. 

Some notion of the size of the town in the eleventh 
century may be drawn from the fact that in 1095 ^^^^ 
hundred Pistoiese accompanied one of the Guidi to the 
Holy Land on the First Crusade. 

The death of the Countess Matilda (1115) and the 



128 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

consequent weakening of the Imperial rule in Tuscany 
gave opportunity to throw off the yoke of the counts 
and set up a commune. The citizens appointed the 
necessary officials and organised the machinery of self- 
government with success. The woollen trade flourished^ 
and safe routes for the merchants were secured by con- 
quest of territory round about^ w^hile the powder of the 
Conti Guidi w^as checked by a defeat at Montemurlo. 

During the hundred years between 1199 and 1299 the 
old town was transformed into a w^ll-equipped city^ with 
fortified walls^ a fine cathedral and bell-tower^ public 
palaces and massive private houses built for defence. 

A fatal spirit of disunion^ however, destroyed the 
prosperity of an industrious and valorous people. Civil 
broils in Pistoia were peculiarly bitter and more than 
ordinarily disastrous ; moreover^ they appear to have 
been more personal and less social or political than in other 
Italian towns. 

The great disturbance in the year 1300 m Pistoia began 
with the quarrel of two youths, members of rival branches 
of the Cancellieri family^, distinguished by the names Neri 
and Bianchi (Blacks and Whites)^ names w^hich came to 
be used for opposing factions elsew^iere in Tuscany. The 
discussion spread until the whole city was involved. The 
podesta resigned, and although the Bianchi succeeded in 
driving the Neri out of the towm, there was so little union 
and so much heat of passion that in despair of coming to 
agreement it was decided to invite the Florentines to take 
the sovereignty of the city for three years. 

During this period the Neri party rose to supremacy 
in Florence^, and many of the Bianchi exiled from that 
Republic found refuge in Pistoia. As a punishment for 
having thus harboured her enemies, Florence, with her 
ally, Lucca, laid siege to Pistoia in 1305. The siege lasted 
nearly a year, and was pursued with barbarous cruelty. 
The citizens withstood the attack to the ultimate limit of 
endurance. It is said that the men cut off and ate their 
own limbs that they might hold out. the longer. After 



PISTOIA 129 

the capitulation in 1306^ Pistoia was deprived of all her 
territory and obliged to accept a captain of the people 
from Florence and Lucca alternately. During the three 
following years of oppression^ the spirit of rebellion grew^ 
and in 1309^ on the news of the fall of the Neri faction in 
Florence^ a wave of passion swept over the town. A mys- 
terious voice was heard crying out^ '' Fortify." The hated 
captain of the people was driven out^ and men^ women 
and children laboured to rebuild the walls. The town was 
immediately attacked by the Florentine army^ but by the 
intervention of Siena^ peace was made and Pistoia was 
permitted to choose her own podesta. Comparative tran- 
quillity reigned for some years^ and was only broken when 
Pistoia experienced the usual fate of the free states^ that of 
falling into the sole control of one of the citizens. A mem- 
ber of the Tedici family^ Abbot of Pacciano^ by a policy of 
conciliation became supreme ruler in 132 1. He was suc- 
ceeded by his nephew^ Filippo Tedici^ who treated the 
sovereignty of the city as a thing to be bought and sold 
for a price^ and in 1324 schemed the transference of his rule 
to Castruccio Castracani^ Lord of Lucca^ the greatest 
military captain of the age. This act of treachery aroused 
resentment and fear among the citizens but they had no 
power to withstand Castruccio^ who entered the city in 
triumph in 1325^ and shortly afterwards caused the 
Anziani^ rulers only in name^ to create Arrigo^ his son^ 
captain general of Pistoia for life. About the same time 
he married his daughter Rialta to Filippo Tedici^ who was 
accused of having poisoned his first wife in preparation 
for this alliance. On the death of Castruccio the Pistoiese 
carried out their vengeance against Filippo Tedici^ who 
was driven out of the city. There was no true spirit of 
union and agreement among the citizens^ but in 1329 the 
commune was established and alliances made with Florence 
and Lucca, one of the conditions being that no member of 
the Tedici family should ever enter the city gates. Quar- 
relling went on among the wealthier families, but no 
serious disturbance took place until 1344^ when the Can- 



130 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

cellieri made themselves master and drove out their rivals, 
the Panciateschi. The exiles took refuge in Florence and 
spread false reports of the existence of a plot among the 
Pistoiese against the Republic. The Florentine army 
marched against Pistoia^ and this time the submission of 
the citizens was only accepted at the price of full sub- 
jection. The fortunes of the town steadily declined. The 
great plague w^hich swept over Italy in 1347 and 1348 
decimated the inhabitants, and owing to the self-interested 
policy of Florence the woollen and other trades of the 
town were discouraged and restricted. Heavy taxation 
further impoverished the people. After the year 1351, 
when Florence became master of the city, Pistoia ceased to 
have any political existence.] 

The Piazza 

[This piazza is an unusually complete example of four- 
teenth-century Tuscan life. Within it there is the whole 
apparatus of the mediaeval city state, the Diiomo, the 
Baptistery, the Bell-tower, the Palace of the City Elders, 
the Palace of the Executive. If we compare it with the 
municipal centre of a German or Flemish city, we realise 
the severely practical purpose of the Italian. There is a 
certain severity, a directness, strangely different from the 
romantic market-places of the north. The forms of the 
baptistery and of the two palaces are in the pointed 
style ; the heavy bell-tower and the simple arcading on 
the Duomo are allied to Romanesque art ; the spirit of 
the whole carries the mind back to the stern simplicity 
of Republican Rome.] 

The Palazzo Pretorio, the old palace of the podesta, 
next to the baptistery, was built in 1367. Cellino di 
Nese of Siena was the designer of the lower part of the 
building. It now contains the Courts of Justice. Within 
the entrance is a picturesque quadrangle with the arms 
of the various podestas. 

Above the stone benches is a fresco of- the Incredulity of 



PISTOIA 131 

Thomas^ ascribed to Niccolo di Mariano. On the wall is 
the inscription^ " Hie locus custodit^ amat^ punit^ con- 
servat^ onorat^ nequitiam leges crimina jura probos." 

Opposite is the Palazzo del ComunC;, begun in 1295^ 
enlarged in 1339^ and again increased by the addition of 
the Great Hall of the Council in 1345. These dates repre- 
sent the periods of Pistoia's greatest prosperity. In 1295 
the citizens were prosperous^ industrious^, and independ- 
ent. From 1339 to 1345^ while in alliance with Florence^ 
the commune was comparatively undisturbed by wars^ 
internal or external^ and free from plague. 

The black marble head on the facade^ near the 'middle 
window^ by tradition is said to represent Filippo Tedici^ 
who in 1325 treacherously sold his city to Castruccio 
Castracani^ Lord of Lucca. Interior. Lions were kept in 
cages in the cortile in the fourteenth century. On the 
wall to the right of the staircase is a fifteenth-century 
Madonna and Child^ with S. James and S. Zeno^ the 
city's patrons. In a niche in the side wall a statue of 
S. Agatha. 

In the handsome suite of municipal rooms there is a 
small collection of pictures. 

I. Room. The Annunciation^ by Santi di Tito, 
Madonna and Child^ with the patron saints Zeno and 
James. Madonna and Child^ with S. Benedict^ Mer- 
curiale^ Philip and James^ by Beccafumi. Madonna and 
Child enthroned^ with SS. Zeno and James. In the 
foreground^ SS. Agatha and Eulalia^ by Fra Paolina, of 
Pistoia. 

II. Room. The Nativity^ by Cristofano Allori. A 
triptych^ a very decorative picture^ with the Annunciation^ 
and SS. Niccolo and Giuliano. Madonna and Child, 
with saints^ by Bernardino del Signoraccio. Madonna and 
Child^ with angels and saints on the pilasters in the manner 
of the fourteenth century. 

III. Room. The Nativity^ attributed to Giamhatista, 
of the school of Perugino. Small portrait of Cino of 
Pistoia. A large fresco of Madonna and Child^ with the 



132 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Baptist^ ascribed to Ridolfo Ghirlandajo, Fine relief in 
marble of Madonna and Child^ by Rossellino. A richly 
carved chest. 

The Duomo stands on the site of an ancient building 
dating^ according to tradition^ from the fifth century and 
dedicated in the name of S. Martin^ on whose day Stilicho 
had defeated the Gothic King Radagaisus on the range 
of hills extending southwards from Pistoia to Fiesole. 

After the year 589 the dedication of the church was 
changed to the name of S. Zeno^ Bishop of Verona^ who 
had controlled the flooding of the river Adige in his own 
town^ and who was supposed in some unexplained way 
to have influenced the river system round Pistoia to the 
benefit of the inhabitants. 

In 1 108 the building of the Duomo was damaged by fire^ 
and restored;, it is said^ at the cost of the Countess Matilda. 
In 1 145 Pistoia became the possessor of relics of S. James 
the Apostle and a chapel was dedicated for their reception. 
The name of Niccolo Pisano has been associated with a 
restoration and enlargement of the church made about 
the year 1240. A portico already existed in 131 1. The 
marble loggia was added in 1449. The Delia Robbia panel 
of Madonna and Child^ with tw^o angels in adoration^ was 
made in 1505^ and is believed to be the work of Andrea 
in his old age with the help of his son Giovanni. The 
lower part of the campanile is an ancient structure ; the 
upper part is assigned to the middle of the thirteenth 
century^ or^ as some have supposed^ early in the fourteenth 
century. 

The Interior of the Duomo. The effect of the interior 
has been much changed by restorations. The nave and 
aisles have ungroined vaulting. The nave arches are 
supported by eight columns^, and one square pier. The 
columns have been coated with plaster^, and painted : the 
capitals are of various designs. To the l. of the entrance, 
baptismal font by Andrea Ferrucci (b. in Fiesole, 1465 ; 
d. 1526)^ with reliefs of the life of John the. Baptist. Fer- 



PISTOIA 133 

rucci was Capo Maestro of the building from 1512 to 

Tomb of Bishop Ricciardi (d. 1345). In the centre 
panel^ above the epitaph^ is Madonna and Child. On the 
side panels are two brothers of the Ricciardi family^ with 
their patron saints ; Baronto Ricciardi^ with S. Zeno ; and 
Bonifacio (a Roman senator)^ with S. Jacopo. 

In the west end of the north or l. aisle is a monument 
to Cardinal Forteguerra (b. in Pistoia^ 1419 ; d. 1473). 
In the upper part^ Christ seated in a mandorla gives the 
blessing; below^ three theological Virtues surround the 
bust of the Cardinal. The commission for the monument 
was given to Verrocchto, who is supposed to have made the 
figures of Faith and Hope. He was called to Venice in 
1479^ ^^d it has been suggested that Lorenzo di Credi, or 
some of Verrocchio's other scholars^ may have been con- 
cerned in the work. In 15 14 Lorenzetto was employed, 
the Charity and some of the putti being ascribed to him. 
About the year 1753 Gct^tcti^o Masoni of Settignano made 
the bust, the urn and the surrounding ornament. 

The Chapel of the Sacrament (Pappagalli) at the end of 
the northern aisle, and to the l. of the choir, contains the 
bust of Bishop Donato dei Medici, generally assigned to 
Antonio Rossellino. Beneath is the date 1475, with the 
Medici arms. 

Under the altar is a recumbent statue of a priest, 
Brother Felice. 

The altar-piece, by Lorenzo di Credi, represents Madonna 
and Child, with SS. John and Zeno in an open loggia of 
some Tuscan garden. The formal architectural setting 
and the artificial pose of S. John are characteristic of the 
mannered habit of this painter. 

In the tribune is a candelabrum in bronze of the fifteenth 
century. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir is the fam.ous silver 
altar dedicated to S. James. The work on this monument 
was spread over nearly one hundred and fifty years. In 
1273 Niccolo Pisano undertook to make marble work for it. 



134 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In 1287 Pacino of Siena made certain small figures, set in 
pointed niches. The fifteen panels in front of the altar 
were finished by Andrea d^Ognahene in 131 6. In 1349 
Maestro Giglio made the seated figure of S. James in the 
reredos. In 1357 Maestro Piero di Leonardo da Firenze 
made the scenes from the Old Testament at the end of the 
altar to the r. In 1371 Maestro Leonardo di Ser Giovanni 
made the scenes from the life of S. James at the end of the 
altar to the l. In 1 386-1 390 Pietro d'Arrigo Tedesco made 
some of the statuettes^ and on the reredos the niche for 
the statue of S. James and the Annunciation below. In 
1394 Giovanni di Bartolommeo Cristiani designed the upper 
part of the reredos. It was finished before the end of the 
century. 

The panels on the front of the altar are : Annunciation 
and Visitation ; Nativity ; Christ in Glory ; Journey of 
the Magi ; Adoration of the Magi ; Massacre of Innocents ; 
the Betrayal ; the Crucifixion ; the Maries at the Tomb ; 
Christ appears to the Disciples ; the Ascension ; Pre- 
sentation ; Christ Preaching ; Christ before Herod ; 
Martyrdom of SS. Peter and Paul. 

At the end of the altar to the r. : Creation of Adam 
and Eve ; Temptation and Expulsion ; Murder of Cain ; 
Building of the Ark ; Sacrifice of Isaac ; Moses receives 
the Tables of the Law ; Coronation of Solomon ; Nativity 
and Presentation of the Virgin ; the Sposalizio. 

At the end of the altar to the l. : Calling of S. James ; 
Mary prays that her sons may be on the right and left of 
Christ in His Kingdom ; Preaching of S. James ; S. James 
led by a cord to the tribunal ; S. James before Herod ; 
S. James baptises Josias, who had fastened the cord round 
the saint's neck ; S. James and Josias are beheaded ; 
Translation of the saint's body to Compostella. 

In the sacristy are two ancient crucifixes with gold 
backgrounds. 

At the west end of the right aisle is the monument to 
Cino de' Sinibaldi of Pistoia (b. 1270 ; d. 1336 or 1337). 
He lectured on law in various parts of Italy. He was a 



PISTOIA 13s 

poet; friendly with Dante/ and like him he wrote in the 
vulgar tongue. He was a member of the " White '' party 
in politics and assisted in the preparation made for the 
coming of the Emperor Henry VII. to Italy. Among the 
pupils who surround the master^ one is supposed to re- 
present Petrarch, and another Selvaggia de' Vergiolesi^ 
who is said to have inspired Cino's love poems. The 
sculpture has generally been ascribed to the Sienese Cellino 
di Nese. The actual execution was probably due to a 
Sienese marble worker whose name is unknown. 

On the end wall, monument to Leo XI. 

To R. of the western entrance, the tomb of Bishop Atto 
(1155), transported from the baptistery in 1337. 

The octagonal baptistery was begun in 1300. 

In 1339 the walls were covered with Carrara marble and 
dark stone from Prato. The direction was entrusted to 
Cellino di Nese of Siena. The work was finished about 

1359- 

The doorway opposite to the Duomo is highly decorated. 
The statues of Madonna and Child, with SS. John Baptist 
and Peter, have been ascribed to Nino Pisano and Tommaso 
PisanOj sons and scholars of Andrea Pisano. 

Below are scenes from the life of the Baptist. The 
sculptured capitals of the pilasters and shafts show a 
curious mixture of pointed and Renaissance style. Above 
the door is a gable with pinnacle and crocket enclosing a 
wheel window of formal design but with elaborate detail. 
Under the eaves of the building there is an arcading of 
pointed and cusped arches. The whole design is effective 
and picturesque. 

In the interior is a square font with panels of red and 
white marble, many of them elaborately carved and de- 
corated with mosaic. These originally formed part of the 
old pulpit of the twelfth century once in the Duomo. 

In the Via Cavour is the Church of S. Giovanni Fuor- 
civitas, which does not stand clear of the surrounding 



136 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

buildings^ and can only be properly seen on the northern 
side. 

Although the building is assigned to a much earlier 
period, the design of this northern fagade dates from the 
twelfth century. It is composed of three orders of arcad- 
ing upon a wall strongly marked with alternate courses of 
white marble^ and the dark green stone of Prato. The 
first order of arcading has flat pilasters^ with arches 
enclosing coffering. The entrance door is of the usual 
Pistoiese design. The lintel is carved with the scene of the 
Last Supper^ designed in the most formxal manner. The 
folds of the tablecloth^ the draperies and the pose of the 
figures are repeated in almost identical manner across 
the picture. There is no nimbus. S. John leans towards 
Christy laying his weight on the table. Judas kneels on 
the outer side while Christ puts the sop in his mouth. 

This sculpture is by Gruamons, the maker of the lintel 
at S. Andrea^ but these lifeless and miotionless masks bear 
no relation to the Adoration of the Kings on the latter 
church. 

On the upper lintel there are two lions as usual. One has 
between his paws a human being who has plunged his 
sword up to the hilt in the animal. The other lion has a 
nondescript in his clutches^ perhaps a bear or a dragon of 
unusual design. 

Interior. In the right aisle against the wall is a pictur- 
esque pulpit dating from about 1270^ the work of the 
Dominican Fra Guglielmo of Pisa^ a pupil of Niccolo 
Pisano. The subjects are scenes from the gospels. Nearly 
all the designs show a regular succession of figures^ uniform 
in height^ thus giving a ceremonial aspect to the scene^ 
although the individual figures are treated naturally. 
The insistence on a profusion of hair and beard constantly 
repeated becomes wearisome. The three large figures 
at each corner have an insipidly benevolent aspect^ lack- 
ing in vigour. We see in this work a fine tradition form- 
alised and reduced to typical rather than individual 
effort. 



PISTOIA 137 

Begin with the side panels on the l. On the top row : 
the Annunciation and Visitation; below is the Nativity and 
Visit of the Magi^ in one scene. Many of the faces and 
some of the figures have a certain grace and beauty^ but 
none have the majestic quality of Niccolo Pisano. 

At the angles are groups of the Apostles. The panels 
in front are divided by a symbolical group of the Four 
Evangelists. The eagle of John^ a royal bird;, supports the 
book on its wings. The angel of Matthew stands below, 
with the ox and the lion on either side. This composition 
is less unp leasing than such designs usually are. 

Upper L. panel : the Washing of the Feet ; below^ the 
Crucifixion. Upper r. : the Deposition ; below, the Descent 
into Hades. 

On the R. side of the pulpit are four scenes^ the Ascension 
(in two parts), the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and the 
Death of the Virgin. There is a notable lack of emotional 
intensity. Neither joy nor sorrow are expressed by the 
calm, well-featured onlookers. The lions supporting the 
columns symbolise the protection and vigilance of the 
Church over its members, represented by the sheep lying 
between the paws of the lions. 

In the centre of the nave is a holy water basin, by 
Giovanni Pisano. It rests on the heads of the three 
Theological Virtues, massive figures crowned as queens 
and wearing embroidered robes. Round the basin itself 
are the four Cardinal Virtues, Justice, Temperance, Forti- 
tude and Prudence. 

To the L. of the pulpit is a noble group of almost life- 
size figures^ by Luca della Rohbia, The group has been 
broken up and separated from its original background. 
Mary, very young and simple, bends humbly towards the 
aged Elizabeth, who is on her knees, looking up into the 
young face with a serious, searching gaze. There is no 
exaggeration of expression. There is no attempt to 
represent an ideal type of beauty, but the attitude of the 
two women, the position of their hands, even the simple 
lines of the drapery, convey a deeply and sincerely felt 



138 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

emotion. The solemnity of a great mystery seems to 
rest upon the two figures. 

On the walls are some damaged frescoes of the four- 
teenth century. The altar-piece is by Taddeo Gaddi, 
Madonna and Child^ with SS. John^ Peter and Paul. 

On the L. wall is a decorative panel picture with a gold 
background. S. John the Evangelist is represented in 
the centre, writing his gospel, and around are eight 
small scenes, probably illustrating the life of the 
saint. 

High on the west wall is a large wooden crucifix. The 
head is erect, the e3^es open, the arms straight and the feet 
nailed separately, indications that the work is probably 
of the twelfth century. 

The cloister is much destroyed, but there are still a few 
beautiful shafts and capitals. From here there is a partial 
view of the southern side of the church, with its black and 
white wall and one order of simple arcading rising from the 
ground to the eaves. 

From the Via Cavour, a short side street leads to 
S. Pietro. This church is one of the Lombard foundations 
of the eighth century. The fagade was rebuilt in 1263 ; it 
is now rather ruinous in appearance, it nevertheless is a 
picturesque example of the Pisan style and of the decora- 
tive use of black and white marble. The lower part is 
arcaded in the Pisan manner, the coffers are in black and 
white, under arches treated in the same way. There are 
at the springing of the arches four lions ; one has a calf in 
his grasp, two of the others have dragons. 

The lintel over the western doorway was decorated 
probably at the time of the restoration in 1263. The 
character differs from the lintels at S. Andrea, S. Giovanni 
and S. Bartolommeo ; here the figures are each set 
in a separate niche of pointed design. This lintel is 
probably contemporaneous with the Pisan baptistery 
pulpit, but Niccolo's genius has had no influence on the 
sculptor, who still makes his heads disproportionately 



PISTOIA 139 

large and still swathes his figures tightly in classical 
draperies. The faces are modelled in broad, simple sur- 
faceS; the features are large, the eyes project, the hair is 
worked in linear detail or in rows of formal curls, in some 
cases the beard is outlined with drill holes. The general 
note is official, in most cases it is also harsh and insensitive. 
Christ stands in the centre giving the keys to Peter, and 
beyond the latter is Madonna, with outspread hands. To 
R. and L. of this group is an angel ; and to the l., four 
Apostles ; to the R., six. 

Above the lintel is a string course finely carved in the 
Romanesque manner; under the containing arch above 
there is a statue of S. Peter. 

Interior. This church was the scene of a curious 
ceremonial abolished in 1595, the mystic marriage of the 
Bishop of Pistoia with the Abbess of S. Pietro. The Bishop 
and Abbess appeared before the people ; the Bishop gave 
to the Abbess a ring and she gave to the Bishop a richly 
furnished bed. 

In the R. transept, Madonna and Child enthroned, with 
SS. Paul and John Baptist and SS. Peter and George, by 
Gerino da Pistoia, dated 1509. 

Another altar-piece, by Ridolfo Ghirlandajo, represents 
Madonna and Child, SS. Gregory the Great, John the 
Baptist, Sebastian and Antonio. 

On another part of the wall, remains of a fourteenth- 
century fresco, Christ in the Garden with three sleeping 
Disciples. 

From the piazza pass down the Via Ripa di Sale between 
the Duomo and Palazzo del Comune to 

S. Bartolommeo in Pantano. This church was founded 
in the eighth century, and to it was attached a Benedictine 
Monastery, where in looi Ugo, Marquis of Tuscany, died. 
In 1 167 the fagade was rebuilt by a certain Rodolfino ; the 
sculpture on the doorway is supposed to date from this 
time. The lower part of the fagade is covered with high 
arcading of the Pisan type ; under each arch is the char- 



I40 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

acteristic coffering^ and in the spandrils there is a chequer 
mosaic. 

On the Hntel of the western door Christ gives 
the keys to S. Peter ; to R. and l. the Apostles stand 
bound in their classical draperies ; at each end is an angel ; 
apart from the richly carved background there is no grace 
in the composition^ the figures are without vitality. The 
upper lintel is carved with foliage based on the usual 
Corinthian adaptation in contrast to the naturalistic 
string courses common in Lucca. On this upper lintel 
rest two lionS; one with a human figure^ the other with a 
dragon in his fore paws. The design of the doorway as a 
whole is picturesque ; it however shows no sign of the 
change that was slowly leading up to the work of Niccolo 
Pisano. 

Interior. The nave arcade rests on seven pillars and 
one pier. Some of the capitals are of Romanesque type, 
with such figures as a symbolical tree bearing fruity bird 
eating fruity lions and demons. Others are of a more 
strictly classical type. The aisles are vaulted, the nave 
has a wooden roof. 

The principal interest in the church is the pulpit, dated 
1250, the work of Guido Bigarelli of Como. On the end, 
to the R., the Annunciation, and the Adoration of the Magi. 
On the front, the Nativity, the Presentation, the Apostles 
receive their mission, Thomas resolves his doubt, the 
Descent into Hades, and the Journey to Emmaus. At 
the corner, to the l., three figures support the reading 
desk. At the corner, to the R., the four symbols of the 
Evangelists, with the head of the devil below their feet, 
support a reading desk. The sculptor Guido has been 
identified with the Guido who carved the font in the 
baptistery of Pisa. 

The pulpit rests against the wall at the back ; in front, 
two columns of red marble rest on lions, and the third, of 
grey marble, on a figure supposed to represent the sculptor. 
The lions should be compared with those under the pulpit 
in S. Giovanni Fuor-civitas ; the difference illustrates the 



PISTOIA 141 

change that was to come from the Romanesque style to 
that of the Pisan sculptors. The style of Guido's reliefs 
is feeble^ indeed childish ; it has none of the free vigour 
of fine Romanesque sculpture. There is^ however^ some- 
thing pleasing in the simplicity and directness of the work^ 
in spite of a certain tentative manner and a petty attitude 
of mind. The portrait figure supporting the column is 
a faithful^ spontaneous rendering of a homely subject. 
There is no affectation of classical feelings the figure is 
natural; and yet in no way crudely realistic. 

The Ospedale del CeppO; in the Via Pacini^ has a famous 
frieze of reliefs in coloured terra-cotta^ by Giovanni delta 
Robbia, executed between 1525 and 1529^ with the assist- 
ance probably of two others. 

Beginning to the rights we have the first of the Seven 
Works of Mercy. 

(i) Giving drink to the thirsty. This relief was added 
in 1555 by Filippo Paladini ; it is made only of painted 
stucco. A figure of Justice with a sword. 

(2) Giving food to the hungry. Probably the work of 
Giovanni della Robbia. A figu^re of Hope. 

(3) Burying the dead. Probably the work of an assist- 
ant. A figure of Charity. 

(4) Visiting those in prison. Food and drink is brought 
to the prisoners, who are seen through the barred windows. 
In the foreground is a saint with a nimbus and fettered 
limbs. Figure of Faith. 

(5) Healing the sick. One of the finest of the series. Note 
the characteristic heads of the Frati. Figure of Prudence. 

(6) Receiving pilgrims. 

Turning round the end of the portico, 

(7) Clothing the naked. 

Between each pillar of the loggia are medallions, 
with the arms of the hospital (ceppo, the stump 
of a tree), the arms of the Medici and the arms (the 
chequers) of Pistoia. Also scenes of the Annunciation, 
Salutation, and Assumption. 



142 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

A few minutes from the Ospedale in the Via S. Andrea 
is the church of 

S. Andrea. The lower part of the fa9ade is ascribed to 
the middle of the twelfth century ; it is formed of five 
very tall arches^ enclosing the usual coffering and with a 
chequer mosaic in the spandrils ; this lower part of the 
fagade is finished off with a cornice decorated with a bold 
classical moulding. The design of the central door is a fine 
example of twelfth-century Tuscan Romanesque art. 
The jambs are flat pilasters, the capital to the spectator's 
L. represents the appearance of the angel to Zacharias ; 
that to the R. the Annunciation. The name of the sculptor^ 
Enricus^ is inscribed above the latter ; the decorative 
background is similar to that on the lintel of S. Barto- 
lommeO; and although the figures are rude even to bar- 
barism^, the effect is picturesque. On the lintel above^, 
the Journey^ and the Adoration of the Magi, was sculp- 
tured by two brothers^ Gruamons and Adeodatus. There 
has been some dispute about the reading of the date ; 1 166 
is the most usually accepted. To the spectator's l._, the 
three kings appear on horseback ; in the centre a figure, 
presumably one of them, kneels before Herod, placing his 
hand between those of the seated king as a feudatory 
rendering homage to his lord. The three kings next 
approach the Child seated on Madonna's knee ; the king 
does not kneel as he makes his offering. The back- 
ground is carved with a pattern of leaves, and on the upper 
edge of the lintel there is a fine string course. The treat- 
ment of the drapery on this lintel is form.al and very un- 
usual ; on the other hand, the horses are at least better 
than those on the pulpit at Barga. They have a certain 
sense of possible movement. The expression of the kings 
and Herod, although neither mobile nor sensitive, is far in 
advance of the Romanesque work at S. Bartolommeo and 
S. Giovanni Fuor-civitas. Above the upper lintel are two 
lions, with the usual figures under them, a man driving 
his sword into the beast, and a dragon. Above these 
springs an arch, with S. Andrew beneath. ■ At the crown of 



PISTOIA 143 

the arch is an eagle^ a symbol of the GhibelHne 
party. 

The two side doors have carved mouldings round the 
arches. The symbolical animals are similar to those 
found upon other Romanesque churehes. Ram.s repre- 
sent the Apostles ; the cock^ the vigilance of the Church ; 
foxes and dragons signify the devil. 

The Interior. The narrow nave and aisles are supported 
by twelve columns and two square piers. The pulpit"^ was 
made by Giovanni Pisano (1298-1301) ; it is modelled 
on the Pisan baptistery pulpit made by Niccolo Pisano in 
1260^ and is the forerunner of the pulpit made by Giovanni^, 
(1302-13 10) for the Pisan Duomo (now in the Museo Civico 
at Pisa). The feeling is less classical and less simple than 
the work of 1260 ; it is not so complicated as that of 
1 302-1310. The Pistoiese pulpit rests on seven pillars of 
red marble. The centre pillar has a base of two eagles 
and a lion ; two other columns rest on lions treated 
realistically ; another on a kneeling car3^atid figure ; and 
four have ordinary bases. The leafage of the capitals is 
cut in a free style ; on the capitals are placed figures of 
the Sibyls. The five panels represent the Nativity; the 
Adoration of the Magi ; the Massacre of the Innocents ; 
the Crucifixion ; the Judgment. The figure at the corner^ 
close to the stair^ is Aaron ; he carries a censer. At the 
corner^ betvveen the Nativity and Adoration^ David ; be- 
tween the Adoration and Massacre^ Jeremiah ; between 
the Massacre and the Crucifixion^ the four symbols ; 
between the Crucifixion and Judgment^ Isaiah ; beyond 
the Judgment^ angels blowing trumpets. 

The tendency of Pisan sculpture to pass from the accomx- 
plished classicism of Niccolo Pisano towards the romantic 
style of the fourteenth century begins in the pulpit at 
Siena; here it is much more marked. The style is in- 
cidental ; the panels are overcrowded wath detail^ as^ for 
instance^ in the Annunciation^ the trifling figures arouse 
no emotion ; the Sibyls have none of the grave majesty 
of the corresponding figures at Siena, nor do the 



144 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

'' Aaron " and the " Isaiah '' rise above the common- 
place. 

Compare the caryatid supporting one of the pillars with 
the similar figure on Guide's pulpit at S. Bartolommeo. 
In the new style there is a distressed^ overwrought ex- 
pression^ the pose is restless^ the hands convey a sense of 
nervous tension. Compared with the calm sincerity and 
the simple breadth of Guide's figure^ the chief impression 
here is of the struggle after vivid expression. 

Over the second altar^ to the R._,is a crucifix^ with a much 
contorted figure^ and the background painted in the Um- 
brian manner. In the lunette above is the Resurrection. 

In the Piazza Guiseppe Mazzini is 

S. Francesco. The church and convent founded in the 
thirteenth century have been much altered ; the western 
fagade was restored in the eighteenth century. Some 
idea of the appearance of the original building^ however^ 
may be had from the fagade of the chapter-house with its 
fine two-light windows. 

(If the church is closed, ring the bell at No. 2.) 

In the interior are several frescoes of the fourteenth 
century which have lately been discovered under the 
whitewash. 

Begin with the chapel to the extreme R. of the choir : 
Scenes of the Martyrdom of S. Donnino^ and the healing of 
a sick person. 

In the next chapel only a few fragments remain of 
scenes from the Franciscan legend. 

The choir was painted with the story of S. Francis by 
Puccio Capanna, a disciple of GiottO; whose principal work 
is to be seen in the Campo Santo in Pisa. Among the 
scenes which have been partially uncovered, it is possible 
to recognise, on the L., S. Francis praying in S. Damiano ; 
and below, part of the dream of Pope Innocent III., where 
Francis appeared to hold up the walls of S. John Lateran. 
On the opposite wall, a wild landscape with the figures of a 
bear, a falcon and a seated monk, is all that remains 




Photograph : Anderson 

THE TEMPTATION 

(From the Facade of the Duomo at Orvieto) 

Compare with reliefs on the pulpit of S. Andrea, Pistoia, by Giovanni 

Pisano 



PISTOIA 145 

of the scene of the Stigmata. In a niche to the r. of the 
altar is a well-preserved fresco of S. Mary of Egypt receiv- 
ing the Eucharistic Sacrament from the Bishop Zosimus. 

In the next chapel^ l. of the choir^ are the paintings 
of principal interest. On the r. wall is the Glory of 
S. Augustine. The saint is enthroned and surrounded by 
a court of the Virtues^ the Liberal Arts^ saints^ and doctors 
of theology. He is an old man wearing a mitre^ and hold- 
ing two scrolls. Upon the R. are praises of Most Holy 
Virtue^ greatest of all treasures. On the l. are words 
relating to knowledge and the arts. Above the throne is 
the dove of the Holy Spirit^ and round the back of the 
throne are SS. Gregory^ Jerome and Bernard (r.) ; S. 
Ambrose^ a bishop^ and a theological doctor (l.) ; all hold 
scrolls^ which unfortunately are unreadable. At the side 
on the R. is Astronomy represented as a graceful young 
woman in a nun's dress^ wath a great sphere of the heavens 
in front of her. 

Below^ beginning on the r. of S. Angus tine^ is Gram.mar^ 
teaching a child, Dialectic with a scorpion^ and Rhetoric. 
On the lower row, a woman with a finger on her lip ; 
Fortitude with a column ; Prudence with a mirror. On the 
L. of Augustine -are, Hope with raised hands, Charity with 
a flaming heart, Faith with sceptre and chalice. Below 
these, Justice, almost destroyed, and Temperance pouring 
water into wine. 

It appears to be the intention of this allegory to present 
an image of how the soul of man is purified by the exer- 
cise of the virtues and enlightened by the study of the 
arts and sciences. The sum of this perfection is gathered 
together by the doctors of the Church, of whom S. Augustine 
was the greatest. Ruling over the whole is the Divine 
Spirit, represented by the dove. In medieval language 
the picture shows how man is in exile in Babylon through 
ignorance and vice, and can only reach the true Jerusalem 
by knowledge and virtue, assisted by grace. 

This glory of S. Augustine may be compared with the 
glory of S. Thomas Aquinas painted in the Dominican 



146 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

churches of S. Maria Novella in Florence^ and of Sta. 
Caterina in Pisa. 

In the L. transept there is a fragment of a fresco of the 
Resurrection above the altar. Passing down the nave^ on 
the R.^ there is a fresco of the Deposition^ with a figure of 
S. Francis at the side ; above is a scene from the legend of 
the True Cross : the Emiperor is shown entering Jerusalem 
clothed as a penitent^ carrying the cross. On the entrance 
wall, to the r., the Preaching of S. Francis, and the 
Martyrdom of S. Stephen ; to the l., the Adoration of the 
Magi. 

Passing up the nave, above the first altar, part of 
the scene of the Annunciation, and a woman saint hold- 
ing a chalice. Over the third altar, a Madonna and 
Child of the fourteenth century, surrounded by a later 
painting. 

In the R. transept are frescoes of Madonna and Child, 
with angels and saints, over the altar. Over the door of 
the sacristy. Madonna and Child, a well-preserved fresco 
by Puccio Cap anna. On the l. wall, a damaged fresco of 
Christ in glory. 

In the sacristy are some poor frescoes. On the wall of 
entrance, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Deposition; 
opposite wall, the Stigmata : all ascribed to Puccio 
Cap anna. On a bench, an old portrait of S. Francis. On 
the roof are the figures of SS. Peter, Paul, Lawrence, and 
Louis the Bishop. 

In the chapter-house (Sala del Capitolo) is a collection 
of sculptured fragments. Carved screens found under- 
neath the pavement of the Duomo. An old carved pillar 
from S. Pietro of the eleventh century. Above is an ancient 
crucifix. On the opposite wall, a fresco in Byzantine style 
of Madonna and Child, found in the Casa di Risparmio ; 
and a relief in Delia Robbia ware of the Resurrection. On 
the roof are frescoes, by an inferior master, of the Presepio 
of S. Francis, the Resurrection of Christ, the Death and 
Glorification of S. Francis. 

On the wall, opposite to the windows, is Bonavei;itura's 



PISTOIA 147 

Tree of Life^ or Tree of the Cross. In order to help those 
who desired to feel the cross of Christ in their souls and 
in their fleshy S. Bpnaventura says he figured a great tree 
with twelve manner of fruits. On the stem is Christ 
crucified. Above His head is the pelican feeding its young 
from its own blood. At the end of each branch is a 
prophet testifying to each fruit of the Passion. On the 
first branch the soul tastes the fruit of the divinity of 
Jesus^ son of God Most High. On the second is the fruit of 
humility^ shown in the humble birth of Jesus. On the 
thirds the fruit of perfect virtue. On the fourth^ the ful- 
ness of His charity. On the fifth^ His confidence in face of 
the Passion. On the sixth^ His patience in the midst of 
injuries and insults. On the seventh^ His constancy in 
suffering. On the eighth, His victory over death. On the 
ninth, His new life after Resurrection. On the tenth, the 
glory of His Ascension. On the eleventh, the equity of a 
future judgment. On the twelfth, the eternity of the 
reign of God. At the foot of the cross are the Maries, 
with the fainting Madonna and S. John. On the l., 
S. Francis, S. Bonaventura writing, two patron saints 
introducing a man and woman, the donors, and S. Louis 
of Toulouse. At the sides, the Transfiguration, with the 
miracle of the Fall of Snow, w^hich took place at the founda- 
tion of S. M. Maggiore in Rome. 



In the Corso Umberto Primo is the Church of S. Dom- 
enico. Over the second altar, to the l., is the Crucifixion, 
by Fra Paolina. 

Over the side entrance on the l., high above the door, is 
the tomb of Filippo Lazzari, and below is a relief showing 
a professor teaching his class. Nearly opposite, on the 
R. side of the nave, is the tomb of Bishop Andreas. In the 
choir, to the R., S. Sebastian between S. Jerome and a 
bishop, ascribed, without justification, to Ghirlandajo. In 
the chapel to the r. of the choir, an Adoration of the Magi^, 
by Fra Paolina. 



148 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Excursions 

Groppoli stands upon a small hill in the Valley of the 
Ombrone^ about five miles from Pistoia. The castle and 
church have an ancient history^ for in 1043 it is recorded 
that they were given to the Cathedral of Pistoia by Count 
Guido of Vinci. 

In the Church of S. Michele is an interesting pulpit 
dated 1 194. On the four panels are the Salutation^ Annun- 
ciation, Nativity, and Flight into Egypt. The scenes are 
divided by carved bands with interlacing dragons and 
geometrical patterns. The capitals have human and 
animal heads. The sculpture is rude and primitive, and 
falls far below the general level of the Romanesque work 
at the end of the twelfth century. The panels may be 
compared with those on the pulpit at Barga. Within the 
church there is a colossal figure of S. Michael treading 
upon the dragon, probably of the same date as the pulpit, 
and a holy water stoup with a human head crowned, 
between serpents. 

A visit to Montemurlo requires about three hours. If 
it is desired to see the castle, now a villa, permission must 
be obtained in Pistoia. 

Passing out of Porta S. Marco the road runs at the foot 
of the lower hills, which are studded with villas. There 
are fine views of the Apennines to the l., and the rich 
valley to the R. The hamlet and villa which stand on the 
top of the hill may be most easily reached by climbing on 
foot up a steep path. In the parish church of the small 
hamlet there is a picture in the choir by Granacci, Madonna 
and Child, with saints ; another in the nave, ascribed to 
Roselli, Madonna giving the rosary to S. Dominic. On 
the western wall are frescoes of the seventeenth century 
describing a robbery from the church. A thief stole a 
Byzantine cross, and hid it in the field ; oxen at work 
knelt down when they came to the spot ; the thief was 
detected, taken before the judge and led off to execution. 



PRATO 149 

The castle of Montemurlo originally belonged to the 
Conti Guidi, and was taken from them by the Pistoiese. 
It formed an important point of vantage whenever the 
city w^as attacked. Castruccio captured the castle by 
undermining the fortifications. Here also Florence made 
her last struggle for freedom against the soldiers of 
Cosimo I. 



PRATO 

The town of Prato is about eleven miles from Florence by 
rail. The journey occupies from twenty minutes to forty- 
five minutes. There is also a tramway service between 
Florence and Prato. 

[Prato formed part of the territory ruled by the Conti 
Alberti ; consuls were elected in 1140^ and in 1180 the 
dominion of the Alberti came to an end. The city walls 
were built at this period. The Palazzo Pretorio dates 
from the thirteenth century. In the same century 
Frederick II. caused the castle to be built partly on the 
plan of his fam.ous Castello del Monte^ near Andria in 
Southern Italy. 

In the fourteenth century Prato submitted to the king- 
dom of Naples. In 1350 the Florentines bought the place 
for a large sum. In 1512 the town was barbarously 
sacked by the Spanish soldiers.] 

The Duomo of Prato has been built in various styles^ 
the work having been continued for several centuries. 
It cannot be said that it is a building of the first rank ; 
it is nevertheless a remarkable example of the skill with 
which Italian architects fused many styles into a har- 
monious whole. The southern flank of the church is 
arcaded in the manner usual in Pisa in the tw^elfth and 
thirteenth centuries. It is known that a certain Gutdo, 
who had been working at Lucca^ was engaged to work at 
Prato in 1211. The building was enlarged and the plan 
was changed to that of a Latin cross^ it is said^ under the 



ISO THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

direction of Giovanni Pisano, He is also supposed to have 
designed the upper part of the campanile. The existing 
fagade was probably begun in the latter part of the four- 
teenth century^ but it was not finished till 1457. 

The relief over the western door was made by Andrea 
Pisano in 1489. Madonna and Child have, to the spec- 
tator's L._, S. Stephen ; and to the r., S. Lorenzo. In the 
cusping of the pointed arch there is a series of cherubs' 
heads, also by Andrea. 

* The open-air pulpit at the S.W. corner of the fagade 
adds considerably to the general effect. In 1428 Donatello 
and Michelozzo were jointly commissioned to make the 
pulpit ; the bronze capital on the foundation corbel was 
cast in 1433 or later, and the reliefs were made between 
1434 and 1436. The purpose of the pulpit was for the 
public exhibition, on stated occasions, of the Holy Girdle. 

Interior. The nave arcade rests on six columns of the 
fine green stone found near Prato. From these spring round 
arches. The vaulting of the nave and aisles does not 
probably belong to the earlier period of the building. The 
transept, the choir, the two chapels at the side of the choir^ 
and the Chapel of the Cintola have pointed and groined 
vaulting. The transept is raised three steps above the 
nave, and the choir six steps above the transept'. The 
general effect is unusually good. 

The frescoes in the choir were painted by Fra Filippo 
Lippi, the work being spread over nearly ten years, 
from 1456 to 1464. To the spectator's l. is the story of 
S. Stephen ; to the r., the story of S. John Baptist. These 
frescoes can only be seen to advantage in the morning. 
Begin to the r. : in the lunette. Nativity of S. John ; 
beneath, S. John goes into the wilderness and preaches ; 
in the lowest series, dancing of Salome ; S. John 
is beheaded ; Salome presents the head to her mother. 
To the L. : in the lunette. Nativity of S. Stephen ; 
beneath, he is ordained as a deacon and appears before the 
Council ; in the lowest picture^ burial of S. Stephen. The 
four persons at the foot of the bier represent, according to 



PRATO 151 

tradition^ Fra Filippo Lippi^ his assistant^ Fra Diamente^ 
Giovanni Pisano (died a hundred and twenty years pre- 
viously)^ and Cardinal Carlo dei Medici. On the vaulting 
are the Four Evangelists. 

On the walls of the chapel to the R. of the choir the 
frescoes have been attributed to various painters^ such as 
Stamina^ Antonio Viti^ and even to Domenico Veneziano. 
Further study can alone decide. 

Begin on the R. : in the Inuette^ Birth of the Virgin ; 
beneath^ the Presentation in the Temple ; at the foot^ the 
Sposalizio. On the l. wall : in the lunete^ S. Stephen 
before the Council ; below^ the Stoning of S. Stephen ; at 
the bottom^ Burial of the saint. 

The frescoes in the chapel to the l. of the choir are 
attributed to Bicci di Lorenzo. To the R. in the lunette, 
S. James preaches to the enchanter, Hermogenes ; be- 
neath, Hermogenes is converted and baptised ; at the 
foot, S. James is brought before Herod Agrippa, and the 
saint is beheaded. 

On the L. wall : in the lunette, S. Margaret, wath spindle 
and distaff ; beneath, S. Margaret before Olybrius. In the 
lowest fresco S. Margaret is cast into prison ; she van- 
quishes a dragon and is beheaded. 

The Chapel of the Sacred Girdle is at the western end 
of the northern aisle ; it is separated from the church by a 
fine iron screen. The frescoes were painted by Agnolo 
Gaddi. 

On the L. wall is the history of the Virgin. Upper 
range, Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, 
Nativity of the Virgin. Middle range. Presentation of 
the Virgin, Sposalizio. Lower range, Annunciation, 
Nativity of Christ. On the end wall of the chapel. Death 
of the Virgin, Assumption, and Coronation of the Virgin. 

On the R. wall the story of the sacred girdle is told. 
According to the Golden Legend, S. Thomas w^as not pre- 
sent at the Assumption, and, so that he might believe, the 
girdle with which Madonna was girt came to him from 
the air. The writer warns us that this story is found in an 



152 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

apocrypha; however that may be^ the girdle was pre- 
served^ and when a certain Michele^, a citizen of Prato^ 
who had gone out with the First Crusade^ was in 
Jerusalem^ he Hved with its guardian and in the end 
married his daughter, to whom the rehc was given. 

This part of the history is painted in the lunette. In 
the middle range of frescoes, Michele and his wife return 
to Prato (in 1141)^ and the angels are seen to lift Michele 
from his bed. This they did to rebuke him for his want of 
trust in their guardianship, for each night he put the girdle 
under his bed for safety. In the lower range Michele dies, 
and the relic is carried in procession to the church. On 
the roof of the chapel the Four Evangelists and the Four 
Doctors appear. On the altar of the chapel is a statue of 
Madonna and Child, by Giovanni Pisano (131 7), so sur- 
rounded that it is impossible to see it. In the sacristy of 
the chapel there are two reliefs, Death of the Virgin and 
the Virgin dropping her Girdle, ascribed to Nicola di Cecco 
and Sano di Siena. 

In the end wall of thejsouthern transept. Death of 
S. Bernard, by Fra Filippo Lippi. In a niche on the west 
wall of the southern transept, Madonna dell' Olivo, by 
Benedetto da Majano ; beneath, a Pieta. 

In the nave is an elaborately carved pulpit. The 
Sphinxes, at the base are by Antonio Rossellino. On the 
square pillar of support, Mino da Fiesole carved Madonna 
and Child, S. John Baptist, S. Stephen and S. Lorenzo. 
The reliefs on the pulpit itself are Madonna in Glory, the 
Banquet of Herod, the Dancing of Salome, by Mino, the 
Stoning of S. Stephen and the Burial of S. Stephen, by 
Ant. Rossellino (1474). 

In the Via Garibaldi (to the l., on leaving the side door 
of the Duomo) is the church, Del Buon Consiglio. Over 
the door is a glazed relief of S. Louis, Archbishop of 
Toulouse, between angels. In the interior are two reliefs 
by Andrea della Robbia. On the l. wall, Madonna and 
Childj with SS. Louis, Jerome, Lucy and Mary Magdalen. 



PRATO 153 

In the predella, Francis receives the Stigmata, the 
Annunciation, and Mary in the Desert receives the Sacra- 
ment. In two niches beside the altar are statues of 
S. Paul and S. Lucy, somewhat damaged. 

Palazzo Municipale. Mount the stairs to the first floor, 
pass through two rooms to Sala IV., in which the principal 
pictures belonging to the town are collected. 

(4) Madonna and Child, with SS. Francis, Bartholomew, 
John the Evangelist and Catherine ; three-quarter-length 
figures, attributed to Pacino di Buonaguida, 

(9) Madonna and Child, with SS. Catherine, Bernard, 
Bartholomew and Barnabas. On the predella. Martyrdom 
of S. Catherine ; Madonna appears to S. Bernard ; the 
Annunciation; Martyrdoms of SS. Bartholomew and 
Barnabas, attributed to Giovanni da Milano. 

(11) Madonna and Child, with SS. Benedict, Catherine, 
Giovanni Gualberto and Agatha; Lorenzo Monaco, 

(18) Madonna and Child, with SS. John the Baptist, 
Bartholomew, Benedict and Margaret ; attributed to 
Andrea da Firenze, 

(19) Madonna and Child, with SS. Francis, Jerome, 
Antony of Padua and Louis of Toulouse ; in the manner 
of Benozzo Gozzoli. (21) Nativity, attributed to Fra 
Filippo Lippi. 

(22) Madonna and Child, with SS. John the Baptist and 
Stephen. 

(23) Madonna wdth the Girdle, S. Thomas kneeling ; 
SS. Gregory the Great, Margaret, Louis and the Archangel 
Raphael, with Tobit ; attributed to Fra Filippo Lippi, 

(32) Madonna and Child in the manner of Ridolfo Ghir- 
landajo, 

Eoom II. (27) Madonna and Child, a relief in unglazed 
terra-cotta. (43) Madonna and Child, in coloured gesso. 
(4) Madonna and Child : glazed terra-cotta. (27) Ma- 
donna and Child ; terra-cotta. 

Sala del Consiglio — a magnificent hall with many 
portraits. Over the bench at the end, fourteenth-century 
fresco. Madonna and Child, SS. John the Baptist and 



154 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Stephen. Another fresco has a large figure of Justice, 
with the other Virtues in the frame. 

S. Francesco. This church has lately been restored. 
At the foot of the steps leading to the choir^ fine tomb- 
stone of Francesco Marco Datini. 

Within the cloister is a beautiful garden ; out of the 
cloister opens a chapel. Opposite the entrance, a 
Crucifixion, by Niccolo di Pietro Gerini. 

To the R., on the side wall^ Calling of Matthew ; below, 
S. Matthew cures a sick woman. S. Matthew is stabbed 
while kneeling at the altar. To the l., on the side wall, 
in the upper part, S. Antonio Abbate as a secular person 
distributes alms ; beneath he appears in the desert and is 
raised to heaven. 

On the roof, the Four Evangelists. Over the door of 
entrance, SS. Clare, Catherine, John the Baptist and 
Bartholomew. 

These frescoes are attributed to Niccolo di Pietro Gerini. 

In the cloister there is the fine tomb of Gimignano 
Inghirami. The urn is ascribed to Antonio Rossellino, and 
the figure to Desiderio da Settiguano. 

The Church of S. Niccolo da Tolentino has an entrance 
doorway of black and white marble. In the lunette is 
a group of Madonna and Child, with S. Nicholas and 
S. Dominic. In the sacristy there is an elaborate lavabo 
of Delia Robbia ware set in Renaissance decoration, sur- 
rounded by a garland of fruit and flowers in colour ; an 
effective work, dated in 1520. 

In the convent over one of the doors leading from the 
cloister is the Nativity, with S. John the Baptist, an 
infant child in camel's hair, kneeling in adoration. In the 
refectory are paintings of S. Dominic and the brethren 
fed by angels ; and the Crucifixion, with groups of saints, 
to the right and left. 

In the Church of the Spirito Santo, behind the high 
altar, to the r., is the Annunciation in the style of the 



PRATO 155 

fourteenth century ; to the l., Madonna and Child in 
coloured relief. On the r.^ a bust of S. John in the manner 
of Donatello. In the nave on the l. wall; the Presentation 
of Christ in the Temple^ by Fra Filippo Lippi. In the 
foreground are two brothers of the Servi di Maria. On 
the wall opposite^ the Virgin and Child^ with S. Anne 
behind and SS. Rocco and James kneeling on either side^ 
by Fra Bartolommeo. 

In the sacristy there is a picture of Madonna and Child^ 
with SS. John the Baptist and Biagio^ by Bronzino. 

At the street corner^ where the Via Margherita and the 
Via S. Antonio meet^ Filippino Lippi painted a fresco of 
Madonna and Child^ with SS. Antonio Abbate and Mar- 
garet to the left; and SS. Stephen and Catherine to the 
right. (The fresco is covered for protection. Key at a 
neighbouring shop.) 

The Church of Madonna delle Carceri; built by 
Giuliano da San Gallo between 1485 and 149I; is con- 
sidered his masterpiece. In 149 1 the frieze and the 
four figures of the Evangelists w^ere made by Andrea 
della Robbia. 

The following churches make a series giving a fair idea 
of the course of Tuscan church architecture during the 
time of the Renaissance : — The Cappella dei Pazzi (Brunel- 
leschi); 1430 ; the Duomo of Pienza (B. Rossellino); about 
1460 ; Madonna delle Carceri (Giuliano da San Gallo); 
1485-149 1 ; and S. Biagio at MontepulcianO; begun in 
15 18 by Antonio da San Gallo the Elder. 



II 

EASTERN TUSCANY 

GROPINA 

THIS hamlet stands on the range of mountains dividing 
Val d'Arno from the Casentino. The drive from 
Montevarchi station (on the Hne between Florence and 
Arezzo) takes about two hours. Cross the Arno^ pass 
through the small town of Terra Nuova^ follow the course 
of the Penna^ and climb the hilly road to Loro Ciuffenna. 
This town is built on the edge of a deep and finely wooded 
ravine. Thence follow the road leading to Arezzo for a 
short distance^ and take a steep lane to the left which leads 
to Gropina^ set amid vines and olives and commanding 
a wide view over Val d'Arno. 

The church is a plain building of dressed stone^ and only 
at the east end is the design interesting. The nave and 
aisles are covered with wooden roofs, except that the 
chapels at the eastern ends of the aisles have groined 
vaulting. The semicircular apse is roofed with stone. The 
nave arcade rests on five pillars and one pier. The sculpture 
on the pulpit and on the capitals of the columns is un- 
usually rude ; its barbarous vigour is, however, impressive. 
It would be difficult to find in Tuscany any other example 
of such undisciplined w^orkmanship, yet so indomitable is 
the effort, so trenchant the method, so significant the pur- 
pose that the interest exceeds that of far more competent 
craftsmanship. The pulpit rests on columns bound 
together with heavy coils, the capitals are carved with 
rude busts, the hands of each figure being raised in prayer. 
The reading desk is supported by an eagle, a human bust, 

M 157 



iS8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and|a lion^ probably a rudimentary form of the symbols 
of the Evangelists, which occur in many monuments of the 
twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The R. side of the pulpit 
is covered with whorls ; on the l. there is a figure sym- 
bolical of sin ; and above a man is seized by two dragons ; 
round the lower edge of the pulpit there is a foliage scroll 
treated in a crude manner. Many of the capitals are 
interesting. On one Christ is seen in the act of blessing, 
with SS. Peter and Paul on another face ; two are carved 
with eagles, and several have studies in fohage treated in 
a conventional way. Some of the animal forms occur in 
the Church of S. Antimo in Southern Tuscany, but they 
are more characteristic of Romanesque sculpture in Lom- 
bardy. The interior of the apse is arcaded with closely 
set columns and stilted arches. Externally there are flat 
pilasters and arches and an open gallery above. 

In May the scenery around Gropina is exceedingly 
beautiful. 

AREZZO 

[Arezzo stands on a low hill, with the fertile Valley of the 
Chiana to the south and west. The city has had a con- 
tinuous history since Etruscan times, when it appears to 
have been an important centre for workers in bronze. 
During the Roman period the Aretines again showed their 
artistic capacity by the production of a red ware orna- 
mented with designs skilfully imitated from Greek models. 

The commune of Arezzo from its earliest beginnings in 
the twelfth century lived under the shadow of the bishops, 
who exercised temporal as well as spiritual authority. 
During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the history 
of the town is contained in the biographies of a succession 
of powerful ecclesiastics. 

Towards the end of the thirteenth century the Bishop 
Guglielmo degli Ubertini (1249-12 89) became the supreme 
ruler of the affairs of the commune and the citizens found 
themselves constrained by his influence to support the 
cause of the Ghibelline party. Arezzo became the refuge 




OC 



AREZZO 159 

of the exiles from the Guelph cities and the supporter of 
rebeUions amongst their subject towns. As a consequence 
the city became the enemy of Florence and the Guelph 
allies A great battle was fought at Campaldino m the 
Casentino (1289). The Aretine forces were completely 
defeated, and the territory devastated; but the town 
itself, which made a heroic resistance, was not taken. 

The leadership of the commune passed into the hands 
of another warlike ecclesiastic, Bishop Guido Tarlati (1312- 
1327), as ardent an upholder of the Ghibelline faction as his 
predecessor. Under episcopal control Arezzo had been 
following an aggressive pohcy and had extended her con- 
tado in the Val di Chiana, Val d'Arno. and the Casentino. 
In the course of the fourteenth century, however, those 
who supported the Ghibelline faction were irrevocably on 
the losing side. Although the Aretines found an equally 
able leader on the death of their Bishop Guido, in the person 
of his brother, Pier Saccone, it was impossible for them to 
withstand the united forces of Florence and Perugia. 
The upshot of the struggle was that Pier Saccone sold his 
rights over Azezzo to Florence, and was permitted to retain 
all his castles in the country. By his death, at the age of 
ninety-six, in 1356, the Ghibelline party in the Apennines 
lost a leader whom they never were able to replace. 

In 1384 Arezzo was obliged to yield to the Florentines, 
and the Republic ceased to exist. At the beginning of the 
sixteenth century there was a brief return of Republican 
rule. The citizens entered into a conspiracy with one of 
Caesare Borgia's lieutenants, joined in alliance with the 
enemies of Florence, and drove out the officials of the 
Republic. When peace was made by the allies with 
Florence, the claims of Arezzo were ignored and the keys 
of the city were delivered to the Florentines. 

During the siege of Florence in 1530 the Aretines made 
another effort to secure freedom, but the town was forced 
to submit to the allied arms, and in 1535 the inhabitants 
were disarmed by the Grand Duke Cosimo I. 

Arezzo has three painters of note: Margaritone (1216- 



i6o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

1293)^ Spineilo Aretino (1333-1410)^ and Giorgio Vasari 
(1512-1574). Petrarch was born here in 1304, during his 
parents' exile from Florence. The town is also the birth- 
place of Pietro Aretino^ a writer of the Renaissance period 
(1492-1557).] 

The Duomo stands on the higher part of the town. 
Behind it is a pleasant public garden with the mediaeval 
fortress in the background. The present cathedral^ a 
pointed buildings was raised on the site of an old church 
of S. Donato e S. Pietro in Castello. It was begun in 1277^ 
during the lordship of Bishop Guglielmo degli Ubertini^ 
with whose name the building may be associated. The 
design has been attributed to Margaritone. The octagonal 
campanile was built in modern timeS; and the western 
fagade has been entirely restored. 

Over the side door on the southern flank of the church 
there is a group of Madonna and Child^ with SS. Donato 
and George^ the work of Niccolo Lamberti, called ^* II 
Pela " (1388) in terra-cotta. 

The Interior. The nave^ aisles and tribune are vaulted. 
There are no transepts. The roof is covered with paint- 
ings by William of Marseilles (sixteenth century)^ and by 
Salvi Castelucci (seventeenth century). To the R. on 
entering is the tomb of Gregory X. On the front of the 
tomb are the Four Evangelists ^ with the Lamb in the 
centre. The recumbent statue of the Pope is covered 
with a pointed arch. This tomb has been attributed to 
Margaritone, but is now believed to be the work of Agostino 
and Agnolo of Siena. 

Farther on in the same aisle is a fresco in the manner 
of the fourteenth century^ which has lately been uncovered ; 
it represents Madonna and Child^ with scenes from the 
lives of the saints. Beside these frescoes is the picturesque 
Chapel of Guccio Tarlati da Pietramala^ a strong partisan 
of Ghibellinism^ who was drowned in the Arno while trying 
to escape from his enem_y^ one of the Bostoli, a Guelph 
family of Arezzo. Dante places this Guccio in the Ante- 
purgatory among those who were cut oifby violent death^ 



AREZZO i6i 

and had only time for a momentary repentance. He is 
represented in the fresco under the arch painted by Berna 
of Siena. Guccio dressed in armour kneels at the foot of 
the crosS; beside which stand SS. John^ Francis^ the Arch- 
angel Michael and Madonna. 

Behind the high altar is the shrine of S. Donate^ with 
many carved panels and statuettes. It is the joint work 
of Giovanni di Francesco of Arezzo and Betto di Francesco 
of Florence (i 369-1 375). 

In the centre panel is Madonna and Child;, with the 
Assumption of Madonna above. On the l. panel is 
the Blessed Donatus^ with the Sposalizio above ; on the 
R.^ S. Gregory^ with the Annunciation above. 

Scenes from the life of the Virgin are continued in the 
lunettes of the wings to r. and l. Most of the other panels 
relate to the life and miracles of S. Donato^ Bishop of 
Arezzo^ a Roman of illustrious birth^ who had been con- 
verted to Christianity in his youth. When the Emperor 
Julian reverted to the ancient religion^ Donato fled from 
Rome to Arezzo^ where he w^as welcomed by the monk 
Hilarion. He worked many miracles^ causing the dead to 
speak^ driving out devils^ bringing rain. He and his com- 
panion were both tortured and beheaded in 361. 

In the rectangles at the side (r.); S. Donato baptises a 
convert and meets S. Hilarion. Rectangle to l.^ the saint 
preaches, and is beheaded. On the sides of the altar, 
S. Donato heals a blind woman, exorcises a devil from 
a girl, baptises converts. S. Hilarion is killed, and the 
building of the first church in Arezzo is begun. On the 
hack of the altar. S. Donato causes a dead w^oman to tell 
where she had hidden her husband's money. The saint is 
made bishop. He mends a broken chalice, kills a dragon, 
exorcises a devil from the Em^peror's daughter, raises a 
dead person. The shrine, as a whole, has the picturesque- 
ness and the richness of ornamient which characterise 
fourteenth-century monuments, and it deserves close at- 
tention as an example of the period when the sculptors 
had lost the impulse given by the Pisani, and had not 



i62 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

acquired the freedom of the Renaissance. The sculpture 
is very mediocre : the figures are wanting in decision^ and 
emotion is expressed by exaggerated contortions. 

The front of the altar itself has a Crucifixion with two 
kneeling saints and hosts of adoring angels^ by Andrea delta 
Robbia. 

We may notice at this point the stained-glass windows 
of the choir. The middle window is modern^ the others 
are the work of William of Marseilles, 

Close to the door of the sacristy is a fresco of S. Mary 
Magdalen by Piero della Frances ca. This conception of 
the saint has no relation to the early representations of the 
ascetic penitent clothed in her hair^ nor to the languishing 
beauties of the later Renaissance. This is the image of a 
stately^ massively built woman whose eyes are cast down, 
but not in humility. 

At the end of the north aisle is the monument of 
Bishop Guido Tarlati, by Agostino and Agnolo of 
Siena in 1330. In the triangular space at the top of 
the high narrow tomb, raised on stilt-like columns, is 
the ensign of the Tarlati, a crowned eagle with a book 
in its claws. The arms of the commune and of the Ghibel- 
line party are placed on either side. The Bishop lies on a 
sarcophagus under the arch ; below are sixteen scenes 
illustrating the warlike career, the conquests, sieges, and 
assaults of this priest who united the staff and the sword. 
The monument was much damaged by the enemies of the 
Tarlati when Pier Saccone was driven out of the city 
in 1 341. The repairs, which were made with stucco, are 
deplorably bad. 

Beginning at the top l. corner : (i) Guido receives the 
mitre. (2) He is made Lord of Arezzo. (3) and (4) are 
allegorical figures of the commune attacked by its 
enemies, and punishing the rebels. (5) Second row. 
The rebuilding of the walls of Arezzo. (6) The submission 
of Lucignano ; the inhabitants, carrying branches of olive, 
kneel before the Bishop. (7) The submission of Chiusi. 
(8) The capture of Fronzola, 1323. (9) The submission of 



AREZZO 163 

Castel Forcognano^ 1322. (10) The assault upon Rondine. 
(11) The taking of Bucine. (12) The assault of Caprese, 
1324. (13) The destruction of Laterna^ 1325. (14) The dis- 
mantling of Monte Sansavino, 1325. (15) The coronation 
of Louis of Bavaria in Milan by Bishop Guido in 1327. 
(16) The death of the Bishop^ 1327. The work shows the 
hand of a clever stonecutter with a fair control of form^ 
but without any trace of the sculptor's genius. He has 
treated his subject in the spirit of an annalist recording 
typical acts^ which reflect the glory of the Bishop. The 
monument is like a great piece of heraldry rather than an 
imaginative presentment of the life of a man. 

Farther on^ against the wall^ is the pillar upon which 
S. Donato was tortured. 

In the Chapel of the Madonna, a modern addition^ are 
four good pieces of Delia Robbia ware. 

To the R. on entering is Madonna and Child, with cherubs 
and angels. Farther to the r. is the Trinity, the work of 
Andrea delta Robbia in his later years, executed for the 
Chapel of the Trinity. The dead Christ is realistically 
coloured ; at the foot are SS. Bernardino and Donato. 
Underneath is an inscription, with a palm leaf, from an 
early Christian sarcophagus. The letters have been 
turned the wrong way, as is not uncommon in the Roman 
catacombs. 

Close by is a small Delia Robbia relief of Madonna 
adoring the Child, the work of the followers of Andrea. 

The large polychromatic altar-piece, with Madonna en- 
throned, is the work of Giovanni, the son of Andrea della 
Robbia. God the Father appears among angels, and 
SS. Donato, Bernardino, Apollonia, and Mary Magdalen 
stand beside the throne. In the little predella is the 
Martyrdom of S. Apollonia, the Nativity, and the Mag- 
dalen receiving the Last Sacrament in the desert. 

The last relief is of Madonna and Child, surrounded by a 
wreath of fruit and flowers, wdth two kneeling saints below. 
It has been restored and the angels and cherubs are of 
modern stucco. 



i64 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In the sacristy is the Madonna della Neve^ by Niccolo 
Soggi di Monte Sansavino. 

In the inner sacristy is S. Jerome^ by Bartolommeo della 
Gatta. The saint kneels in a rocky cave^ beating his breast 
with a stone^ as he gazes at the crucifix. The other 
picture^ a Madonna^ with saints^ is by Pecori of Cortona. 

In the capitolo are three small pictures ^ once forming 
a predella, by Luca Signorelli^ the Birth of the Virgin^ the 
Presentation of the Virgin^ and the Sposalizio. There is 
also a banner of Madonna della Consolazione^ painted by 
V as art. The front of an altar in terra-cotta is attributed 
to Bernardo Rossellino about 1433. God gives the charge 
to the angel Gabriel^ the Annunciation^ the Visitation^ and 
Joseph and Mary on the way to Nazareth. 

In the piazza below the Duomo is the Palazzo dei Priori 
or Palazzo Comunale. It is a somewhat bare and bleak- 
looking building;, wdth a tower at one side. 

The Church of S. Domenico^ in the Piazza Fossombrone^ 
was founded by the Tarlati family in 1275. To the R. 
of the entrance is a large fresco of the Crucifixion^ by 
Parri di Spinello, with SS. John and Dominic^ the Virgin 
and S. Donato standing at the foot of the cross. In the 
lunette are two scenes from the legend of the saints. The 
fresco has been surrounded by a modern frame which cuts 
off part of the picture. Against the R. wall is an 
elaborate monument in the pointed style^ the Cappella 
Dragomanni^ made by Giovanni di Francesco of Florence 
in 1350. Below is a fresco of Christ among the Doctors. 
Beyond this chapel is a much-damaged fresco of Mary 
with the Christ Child and Joseph. 

Beyond the altar is a panel picture with a gilt back- 
ground of S. Michael slaying the dragon^ with S. Paul and 
S. Dominic. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir is a fresco of the 
Annunciation. In the corresponding chapel to the l. is 
a statue of S. Peter Martyr^ set in a niche^ in glazed Della 
Robbia ware. Below is the scene of his martyrdom. 



AREZZO 165 

To the L. of the entrance door is a large fresco by 
Sptnello, AretinOy SS. James and Philip ;, standing side by 
side ; round about are six scenes from their legend. 

Above the entrance door is a Crucifixion of the thirteenth 
or fourteenth century. 

In the small piazza adjoining the Via Cavour is the 
Church of S. Annunziata^ a Renaissance building from a 
model by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder. There are no 
pictures of interest in the interior^ but over the entrance 
is a closed tabernacle (opened by the sacristan) with a 
fresco of the Annunciation^ by Spinello Aretino, a delicate 
and beautiful picture. 

Below^ on the lintel of the door, is a relief of Christ with 
the four symbols of the Evangelists. 

Continuing along the Via S. Lorentino w^e reach the 
Church of S. Maria in Grade. Over the first altar, to the 
L., is a Madonna of Mercy, by Andrea della Rohbia. S. 
Peter stands on the l., and S. Augustine, with the martyr's 
palm, on the R. Kneeling men and women are gathered 
under Madonna's mantle, which is upheld by angels. 
Above is the Father Eternal sending down the dove of the 
Holy Ghost. Madonna looks lovingly, and with a little 
wistfulness, at the Child, whose face, expressive of childlike 
simplicity and benign sweetness, is turned towards the 
spectator. 

The small Church of SS. Lorentino and Pergentino 
stands at the corner, where the Via Cavour cuts across the 
Via S. Lorentino. 

The two schoolboy saints, Lorentino and Pergentino, 
were martyred under Decius in this city. They converted 
a number of pagans, and by their prayers caused an idol 
to fall. 

Round the door are carvings of the life of the brother 
saints and their martyrdoms. 

The Etruscan Museum and Picture Gallery. At the 



i66 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

corner where the Via Garibaldi cuts the Via S. Lorentino. 
Open daily lo to 3. Fee. 

Mount the stairs. On the landing is a bas-relief of an 
Etruscan lady at her toilet. 

Room I. has a collection of Bucchero black ware^ from 
Sarteano. Also a number of painted vases : one on a 
stand has a battle scene^ Hercules fighting with the 
Amazons. 

Room II. contains numerous specimens of the coral- 
coloured ware of Arezzo. The manufacture of this ware 
sprang into existence during the Roman period^ as the 
result of the introduction of Greek vases imported from 
Samos. The Tuscan potters with their natural artistic 
aptitude imitated the Grecian designs^ in the common 
cups^ potS; and vessels for daily use made from the soft 
red clay of the neighbourhood. A mould was made of 
hard burned clay and covered with incised designs ; the 
soft red clay was then pressed into the mouldy and the 
whole was finished off by the potter on his wheel. The 
result is the most artistic pottery ever produced by the 
Romans. 

The delicacy and beauty of these designs is in marked 
contrast to the quaintness^ the severity and the strictly 
mythological character of the purely Etruscan reliefs and 
paintings. 

Room III. More of the red ware^ which^ it may be noted^ 
is all of one period and shows no development. Notice 
the moulds. 

Room IV. Mediaeval coins and seals. 

In the cases against the wall to the r. of the window are 
a number of bronze chalices^ crucifixes^ also mediaeval 
caskets of ivory. One^ of Byzantine workmanship, on 
the second shelf, has classical subjects : Hercules and the 
lion, athletes fighting w^ith wild animals, and a thyrsus- 
bearer under a mulberry-tree. The work is of the four- 
teenth-century type, but is thought to be probably an 
imitation of a later date. 

Room V. contains Etruscan bronzes, statuettes, idols^ 



AREZZO 167 

mirrors^ etc. It is to be remembered that two of the finest 
Etruscan works in bronze now in the Etruscan Museum 
at Florence^ the statue of Minerva and the Chimaera, were 
found at Arezzo. 

Room VIII. Etruscan urns and ash-chests. Several 
of these are in the form of an ark^ and very few have 
recumbent figures on the Hd. There are rehefs of the 
slaughter of the Theban brothers^ the journey of the soul 
to the under worlds and other familiar subjects. 

A chest of chiselled bronze contains the relics of the 
SS. Lorentinus and Pergentinus^ 1498. Near by is a 
marble crucifix of early date ; the figure of Christ is erect^ 
the feet are nailed separately^ and the eyes are open. 

Near the window is a statuette of Madonna and Child, 
by Giovanni Pisano. The figures have the proportions 
and the pose, but not the fervid emotionalism, that char- 
acterises the work of this master. 

On the second floor is the Pinacoteca. 

The Picture Gallery 

Room I. Turn to the l. Neri di Bicci, S. Maria della 
Grazie, Madonna protecting the people of Arezzo. In the 
foreground, S. Bernardino. 

Nos. 22, 23, 24, by Lorentino of Arezzo, 1482. The 
Madonna and Child seem to be modelled on the types of 
Piero della Francesca. 

On the other side of the window is a fragment of fresco 
(No 21) said to be by Jacopo da Casentino, but Venturi 
thinks it is the work of Bernardo di Lione, 

No. 16. Madonna della Misericordia, by Parri di 
Spinello (the son of Spinello). A weak-mannered picture. 
In the predella is S. Pergentino and the story of his martyr- 
dom. 

No. 15. The Trinity, by Spinello (1318-1410). A 
striking picture, unfortunately not in good preservation. 
It is full of solemn feeling of dignity and quiet, impressive 
power. Probably painted about 1375. 



1 68 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

No. 14. The Pieta^ by Spinello. Not a favourable ex- 
ample of the artist^ and much damaged. 

No. 13. Madonna enthroned; by Jacopo da Pratovecchto. 
A very elementary work. 

No. 3. A crucifix^ by Margantone (1216 (?)-i298 (?)). 
A very large picture^ with S. Francis embracing the foot of 
the crosS; painted for the Church of S. Francesco. The 
figure of Christ is not without dignity^ but in the face 
the artist has tried to express intensity of suffering by 
means of physical distortion. Such crucifixes as this^ the 
outcome of the same feeling which produced the Mendicant 
Revival; strive to present the '' Man of Sorrows/' instead 
of the Conqueror of Death, as in earlier Christian art. 

No. 2. Madonna and Child enthroned, hy Margantone, 
The Madonna is a large, ample figure, seated with ease and 
dignity. She does not look at the Child, but at the spec- 
tator, with a simple, untroubled mien. She has the long 
nose, with curved and contracted nostrils, and the almond 
eyes common to the painters who derived from the 
Byzantines. The elaboration of ornament on the throne, 
and the nimbus, and the gilded lines marking the folds 
of the drapery are also characteristics of the Byzantine 
school. The style of the work shows little connection 
with Nos. I and 3 by the same master. 

No. I. S. Francis, attributed to Margantone. This is 
little more than a coloured outline, but there is at the same 
time the intention of portraying a definite individual. 
S. Francis is clothed in the monk's robe and cowl and has 
no nimbus, but shows the marks of the stigmata on hands 
and feet. The effigies of S. Francis are said to be the 
only examples of portraiture in the thirteenth century. 

Room n. Parri di Sfinello, the Madonna ; Luca 
Signorelliy the Story of S. John. 

Bartolommeo delta Gatta. Two pictures of S. Roch inter- 
ceding on behalf of Arezzo in time of pestilence. 

Madonna and Child, a fresco by Signorelli. 

Room in. (No. 7). Domenico Pecori. The Virgin of 
Mercy defending the people of Arezzo with the folds of 



AREZZO 169 

her mantle against the plague sent down in the form 
of arrows by the Almighty. S. Donato^ the bishop, 
and the other patrons of Arezzo are in the near fore- 
ground. 

No. 5. A large canvas by Luca Signorelli, painted in his 
later years for the Confraternity of S. Girolamo. The 
composition is overcrowded, and the colour very dark. 
The Virgin holds a bunch of lilies, and the Child places 
the sacramental wafer in the chalice, which had been broken 
by the pagans and miraculously mended by S. Donato, 
represented in the foreground, reading. On the other side 
is S. Stephen holding a stone and a palm branch. The 
Virgin's feet rest upon the heads of cherubs, and below 
are S. Girolamo, David, who sings on a Psaltery, and 
S. Nicholas presenting Messer Niccolo Gamurrini, Doctor 
of Law, who partly paid for the picture. In the back- 
ground, two noble heads of prophets. 

No. 4. Domenico Pecori. Madonna and saints. A 
heavy, laboured picture. 

No. 3. Luca Signorelli. A grandiose design of Madonna 
and saints, and a dragon in the foreground. 

In Room IV. are pictures by Vasari. 

In Room VII. are drawings by Vasari, Carlo Dolci and 
Pietro da Cortona. 

At the foot of the stairs in the entrance hall are a number 
of old capitals from the Pieve ; also a statue of a warrior 
saint, called the King Lotharius, the work of Agostino, 
Agnolo and Giovanni of Siena. A group of Madonna and 
Child is of graceful design. 

At the end of the Via Cavour, in a small piazza, is the 
Church of the Badia, w^hich was built by Vasari in 1550. 
At the back of the altar are portraits of the Vasari family. 
On the R. of the choir wall is a marble tabernacle for the 
holy oil, by Benedetto da Majano. At the end of the R. 
aisle note a Sienese crucifix of the fourteenth century. 
The abbey itself is now the seat of the Academy of Science 
and Art. In the library, once the refectory, there is a 



170 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

large picture by Giorgio Vasari of the Feast of King 

Ahasuerus. 

S. Francesco 

This church stands at one corner of the Piazza Um- 
berto. It was founded in 1322^ and originally there was 
a large convent attached. The churchy which had many 
fine frescoes by Spinello and Piero della Francesca^ fell 
into neglect and disrepair^ and has only been restored^ 
and the pictures uncovered from whitewash^ in modern 
times. 

On entering turn to the r. Against the entrance wall^ 
S. Sebastian^ and Madonna and Child^ by Pecort, 

On the wall of the R. aisle are many frescoes which have 
been uncovered^ and are all more or less damaged. 

Madonna and Child; with saints^ in the style of the Um- 
brian school. The Crucifixion. S. Nicholas. A crucifix 
attributed to Margaritone, Francis receiving the stig- 
mata. Farther on is the Annunciation ^ by Spinello. 
Although damaged; this is still a charming picture. The 
figures are graceful and there is the gay^ clear colouring of 
the early fresco painters. 

On the face of the choir arch is the Last Judgment. 

The Choir * was painted^ with the History of the Cross^ 
by Piero della Francesca (Piero di Benedetto dei Fran- 
ceschi); a native of Borgo S. Sepolcro (1406-1492); who was 
commiissioned to do the work by Luigi Bacci^ a wealthy 
citizen of Arezzo. 

On the summit of the roof are the Four Evangelists^ with 
their symbols^ perhaps painted by another hand. 

The History of the True Cross begins with the lunette 
to the R. When Adam was about to die he sent Seth to 
the Garden of Paradise to ask for the Oil of Mercy pro- 
mised by the angel. Seth returned with three seeds^ 
which the angel told him to place under Adam's tongue 
when he buried him. To the r. of the lunette : Adam 
sends Seth on his mission ; to the l._, the burial of Adam. 

The seeds grew into a great tree^ which Solomon cut 



AREZZO 171 

down to build into his Temple. But the beam could not 
be made to fit^ so it was cast into a pool. When the Queen 
of Sheba came to visit Solomon^ she recognised the sacred- 
ness of the beam^ which was used as a bridge to cross the 
pool; and told Solomon that on this holy wood should hang 
the Saviour of the Jews. 

On the wall below the lunette. The Queen of Sheba, 
followed by her women, kneels beside the pool to the l. ; 
and to the r. she is received by Solomon, who on hearing 
her words caused the beam to be taken up and carried 
with great honour into the Temple. Abijah, the son of 
Rehoboam, stripped the beam of all its ornaments and 
caused it to be buried. Here it remained hidden for three 
hundred years, until rediscovered by the Jews at the time 
of the crucifixion, when it vv^as used for the cross. 

In the narrow panel at the r. side of the window are 
men carrying the beam. 

The Emperor Constantine, reflecting on the fate of the 
Empire, had concluded that those who had trusted in 
many gods had been deceived ; he therefore prayed that 
the one God would reveal Himself, and in a vision 
he saw a cross with the inscription, " Conquer by 
this." 

In the panel below, the carrying of the beam. 
Constantine, sleeping in his tent, guarded by an attendant 
and soldiers, sees the vision. 

In the next panel the victorious hosts of Constantine 
are seen to the left, and the discomfited army of Maxentius 
withdraws to the right. 

After the conversion of Constantine, his mother, the 
Empress Helena, went to Jerusalem in search of the 
cross. She caused a certain Jew, by name Judas, to be 
let down into a dry well to starve until he should reveal 
where the cross had been buried. On the seventh day he 
yielded, and was drawn up. 

Centre panel near the window, l. wall, shows Judas 
being drawn out of the well. Three crosses were found in 
the place pointed out by Judas, and the true cross of 



172 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Christ was identified by its power to raise the dead when 
laid above them. 

Centre wall, left, the discovery and testing of the crosses. 

The Empress Helena took half of the cross to Con- 
stantinople^ and left the remaining half in Jerusalem^ where 
it was preserved until the year 615^ when Chosroes^ King 
of the Persians^ captured the city and carried off the cross 
as being the most sacred treasure of the Christians. 

Lunette. Chosroes on his return to Persia exhibits the 
cross to the people^ and commands his subjects to worship 
it and him. 

The Emperor Heraclius^ roused to indignation by this 
insult; gathered his forces and attacked Chosroes. 

Lowest panel, left. When the armies met^ the monarchs 
agreed to decide by single combat. Chosroes was defeated^ 
and decapitated on his refusal to accept baptism. 

On the pilasters at the sides of the arch are a number 
of single figures. On the l.^ S. Peter ; above him, S. Louis^ 
King of France ; above again^ a Cupid^ blindfolded^ 
drawing his bow. 

These frescoes are the most considerable remains of the 
work of Piero della Francesca^ although the masterpiece 
is at Borgo San Sepolcro. Piero was one of the Tuscan 
painters who were scientific men as well as artists. He 
saw things in their geometrical relations^ as became a 
pupil of Paolo Uccello. He is said to have used oil as a 
medium^ and is described as only second to Antonio da 
Messina. He understood something of aerial perspective 
and of the distribution of light and shade^ and thus was 
a forerunner of Leonardo. He made models in clay and 
clothed theni; to serve as studies. Such a catalogue of 
virtues and relationships hardly prepares us for work 
which has a curious air of aloofness and separation from 
the ordinary current of fifteenth-century art. A strangely 
awkward grace^ penetration dependent neither on emotion 
nor circumstance^ form massively dignified^ intelligence 
effortless and impassive^ and every now and again the 
flame of the spirit breaking bounds in disconcerting 



AREZZO 173 

fashion^ such is the impression made by one of the most 
inscrutable personahties in Tuscan art. 

The chamber at the foot of the tower^ entered from the 
choir^ has frescoes by Spinello. The chapel is dedicated 
to the Archangel Michael. On the r. wall, in the lunette, 
is God enthroned ; and below, the rebel angels are driven 
out by Michael and his host. The scene below illustrates 
the vision of S. Gregory, who, being elected Pope at a time 
of plague in Rome, caused public processions and prayers 
to be made. In answer S. Gregory saw Michael the Arch- 
angel in the act of sheathing his sword, as he descended 
on the tomb of Hadrian, and so the plague was 
stayed. 

On the opposite wall is the Mass of S. Gregory. While 
the saint was officiating at the Mass he prayed that the 
Crucified would show Himself to convince one, who stood 
near, of the real presence. 

Above is the story of S. Egidio (S. Giles), a monk who 
lived in a cave and was fed by a hind. Once when the 
King of France was hunting he wounded the hind and 
pursued her to the cave, where he discovered the holy 
hermit. In the lunette, S. Egidio gives his cloak to a 
beggar. Below^ is the scene of the King's chase. 

Leaving the chapel, on the r. wall of the church is a 
monument to Antonio Roselli (d. 1467), a teacher in the 
studio of Padua. The monument is probably by a follower 
of Jacopo della Querela. Close by is a fresco of S. Rosalia 
wdth her robe full of flowers. 

Farther on are damaged frescoes of scenes from the life 
of S. Francis, and on the entrance wall, the Last Supper, 
by Spinello. 

The stained glass of the round window in the western 
wall, by William of Marseilles, represents Honorius IIL 
approving the rule of S. Francis. 

In the restored Chapel of S. Antonio is a much-damaged 
fresco by Lorentino of Arezzo, interesting as a record of the 
preaching of S. Bernardino and of the destruction of the 
pagan fountain at S. Maria delle Grazie. 

N 



174 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The Pieve of S. Maria in Gradi * is reached from the 
Corso Vittorio Emanuele^ which crosses the Via Cavour. 
The original church dated from the seventh century^ but 
its present appearance is due to reconstructions in the 
thirteenth. 

The western fagade consists of four storeys of arcades^ 
the three lower formed with round arches^ the upper^ with 
post and lintel. There is a good deal of carved ornament 
and design^ but the general effect is that of a rude^ weather- 
beaten monument; the work of an architect capable of 
detail; but incapable of fusing the design into an organic 
whole. The style resembles that of the cathedrals of 
Lucca and Pisa^ but this sombre building has none of the 
harmonious gaiety and lightness of the Pisan and Lucchese 
churches. 

In the tympanum over the central door is a relief of the 
Virgin with her arms raised in prayer in the fashion of 
early Christian art. She is clothed in a richly decorated 
gown with long sleeves , and wears a crown. Two angels 
support her arms^ and two others uphold her nimbus. 
The attitude of prayer^ the rich vestments^ the character 
of the crowU; are all unlike what one finds in thirteenth- 
century sculpture^ and the difference suggests the possi- 
bility that this relief is part of an older building. 

On the architrave are a number of half figures^ Mary and 
the Twelve Disciples, two bishops and two angels. An 
inscription gives the name of the sculptor, Marchione, and 
the date, 12 16. 

In the archivolt, above the Madonna, there are twelve 
realistic figures of the Labours of the year. Beginning on 
the R. side, farthest from the door, lower row : January, 
two-headed, stands by the hearth with a water jug. 
February prunes a vine. March blows a horn. On the 
L. side of the door : April gathers a flower. May rides on 
horseback. June gathers the grain. Above, on the same 
side : July threshes. August prepares the wine casks. 
September treads the grapes. Right side : October sows. 
November gathers the beetroots. December kills the pig. 



AREZZO 175 

These sculptures are quite different from anything that 
can be seen at Florence^, Pisa and Lucca ; they more 
nearly resemble the work of the great school of sculptor- 
masonS; the Antelami^ who were working at the beginning 
of the thirteenth century at Parma^ Ferrara^ and Borgo 
San Domino. 

In the spandrils of the arch above the central door are 
two reliefs — on the r.^ Jacob wrestling with the angel ; 
on the L., Daniel between the lions — reliefs which also 
resemble Lombard rather than Tuscan work. 

Above the side door^ to the r.^ is the Baptism. The 
figures are lifeless and stiff^ the faces are expressionless 
and the eyes disproportionately large. The lunette was 
executed in 1221. 

Above the door^ to the l. is a masterly design of a vine 
laden with bunches of grapes. 

On Romanesque buildings we seldom find a logical or 
complete system of illustration^ but, however fragmentary, 
the subjects are all related to certain underlying ideas. 
The Labours of the year are symbols of Life, Death, and 
Resurrection ; they remind us that labour is the appointed 
remedy against mortality. The four seasons and the twelve 
months symbolise the Evangelists and the Apostles. Jacob 
wrestling with the angel is a figure of the eternal conflict 
which man must wage against sin. Daniel in the lions' 
den is an image of Christ in His passion. The vine laden 
with grapes is Christ and His church. 

The interior, free from all decoration, side altars, and 
furniture, is splendidly impressive. Grey stone walls and 
massive columns rise from the pavement in austere majesty, 
while the high altar on the raised choir stands out against 
the plain walling of the apse in significant prominence. 

The original basilican form of the church was altered 
early in the thirteenth century, when transepts were added 
and the nave and choir arches were transformed from 
round into a slightly pointed form. 

The aisles and nave are covered with a wooden roof. 
Over the crossing there is a low dome, and the aisles at the 



176 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

sides of the choir are groined and vaulted. Notice also 
the arcading of the choir walls ; and on the l. wall of the 
nave^ composed of post and lintel^ the same as in the upper 
storey of the fa9ade. 

On the first column to the r. is a fresco of Madonna and 
Child; by Spinello Aretino. 

On the west wall^ to the l. of the centre door is a has- 
relief of the Visit of the Magi. It has been ascribed to the 
eleventh century. It has several of the usual character- 
istics of primitive art. Mary and the Child are of enor- 
mous sizC; and the Magi are disproportionately small. The 
eyes are represented as full in the profile face. If one can 
overlook the grotesque proportions^ there is some pleasure 
to be had from the naive expression and the sincerity of 
the sentiment. There can be no question that the adora- 
tion of these Magi is genuine. Upon the side of the throne 
and the space behind the Magi's heads are words inscribed^ 
but not easily deciphered. 

On the steps to the l. of the choir is a crucifix attributed 
to Margaritone. 

In the raised choir ^ on a pillar to the r.^, is a fresco of 
S. Dominic and S. Francis^ said to be by Giotto^ but more 
probably the work of Jacopo del Casentino. 

In the apse hangs a fine altar-piece^* by Pietro Lorenzettt, 
of Madonna and Child; with SS. Donato (the patron of 
Arezzo); John the Evangelist^ John the Baptist and 
Matthew. Above is the Annunciation^ and half figures of 
saints ; in the pinnacles^ the Virgin in Assumption. The 
central figure of Madonna^ clothed in a white mantle sewn 
with blue stars^ is of the large-featured^ imposing type 
characteristic of the early Sienese Madonnas. But the 
absorbed; penetrating gaze which she fixes upon the Child; 
and His eagergesture of response to her unspoken thoughts; 
belong to another atmosphere. It is a human mother 
and child penetrated with love and tenderness ; there is 
nothing here of the aloof austerity or the mystical serenity 
of the Byzantine school. The picture was commissioned 
by Guido Tarlati; Bishop of Arezzo in 1320. 




Photograph: Alinari 

MADONNA AND CHILD 

(By Pietro Lorenzetti, in the Duomo at Cortona) 

Compare with the picture in the Pieve at Arezzo, and examples in the 

gallery at Siena 



AREZZO 177 

On leaving the church turn to the l., and pass round the 
south side of the building to the apse. The tower was 
begun by Marchione in 1216^ but not finished until 1330. 
It is a fine square mass^ with round-headed two-light 
windows in pairs. The lights do not increase in number 
with the ascending storeys^ as is usual in Romanesque 
towers. The southern door of the church has character- 
istic symbolical figures. On the lintel are two dragons 
devouring the branches of a vine. The vine scroll repre- 
sents the vineyard of the Lord laid w^aste by evil men who 
defraud the Church as described by the prophet (Isa. iii. 
14). Above ^ in the tympanum^ is an interlaced design 
with grapes and vine leaves generally supposed to repre- 
sent the eternity of Christ's kingdom^ having neither 
beginning nor end. On the capitals at the sides of the 
door are men in conflict with lions. The young man to the 
L. is probably David ; the bearded man wath braided locks 
of hair is probably Samson. 

The eastern end of the Pieve has been restored in modern- 
times^ the old forms being carefully maintained. The 
apse has three orders of arcade (as at Pisa Cathedral). 
The two lower are round arched ; the second has a passage- 
way behind the column ; the third has short columns 
supporting a lintel. The capitals are of various forms 
and rude workmanships approaching to the early type 
of capitals found in the cloisters at S. Giorgio in Val 
Policella^ near Verona^ and of S. Antimo near Montalcino. 

In the picturesque Piazza Vasari^ formerly the Piazza 
del Popolo^ is the Palazzo della Fraternita della 
Misericordia. 

This fraternity of laymen^ in existence since the 
thirteenth century^ began to build a palace in 1375, which 
was not completed until 1460. The facade was begun by 
Baldino di done and Niccolo di Francesco, Florentines, 
and finished by Bernardo da Settignano, called "11 Ros- 
sellmoJ^ 

The upper part of the facade, with cornice and loggia, 



178 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and the lower part, with pointed arches, representing two 
different styles, harmonise unusually well. The relief 
represents Madonna della Misericordia, with SS. Per- 
gentino and Lorentino, and, together with the statues of 
SS. Gregory and Donatus, is the work of Bernardo da Set- 
tignano. In a passage in the interior is a Mater Miseri- 
cordia, by Spinello. 

The heavy loggie on the north side of the piazza were 
built by Vasari. In the centre of the piazza, formerly the 
market-place, is a statue of the Grand Duke Ferdinand III. 

Opposite to the Pieve, in the Corso, is the Palazzo Pub- 
blico, or Palazzo del Capitano, a picturesque building with 
a square tower surmounted by a parapet. 

Farther up the steep street is the ancient Palace of the 
Podestk, now used as a prison. The walls are covered with 
the coats-of-arms of the various nobles who held the office 
of podesta in Arezzo. 

The Church of S. Bernardo is reached by a short street 
leading from the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. In the sacristy 
of the church is a fresco by Sfinello Aretino of Madonna 
and Child, with SS. Benedict and Bernard in v/hite robes. 

Scenes from the lives of these saints are painted in the 
cloister. We see S. Benedict doing penance for his evil 
desires by rolling among thorns ; the saint preaching ; 
visited by an angel ; tempted by a devil ; mending a 
sieve for his old nurse ; setting out from Rome ; his death 
and burial. 

In the vineyard close by are the remains of a Roman 
amphitheatre, with great walls. 

The Church of S. Agostino is reached by a short street 
leading from the Corso. 

On the wall of the l. aisle is a picture of the Circum- 
cision by some pupil of Perugino. The scene is laid in a 
fine Renaissance loggia, and there is a suggestion of 
pleasant distant landscape. The figures have another 
characteristic of this school, the pose is . sentimental and 
has little or no relation to the action. 



AREZZO 179 

The Churcli of S. Maria delle Grazie is reached in ten 

minutes from the Porto S. Spirito. Turn to the l. at the 
end of the Corso. 

This church owes its existence to S. Bernardino of Siena, 
who came to Arezzo in 1444, preaching penitence and 
purity of Hfe. When he heard that outside the gates of 
the city there was a fountain sacred to Apollo, where the 
women took their sons to bathe to ensure strength and 
beauty of body, S. Bernardino immediately hurried to the 
spot, then surrounded by a sacred wood, and commanded 
the people to destroy every trace of this haunt of the devil. 
This being done he laid the foundations of a chapel to be 
raised in honour of the Vergine delle Grazie, for which 
Parri Spinello painted an image for the tribune. 

In 1449, on account of the many miracles worked by 
this picture, a larger church was built by Domenico del 
Fattore. The beautiful portico, with its fourteen graceful 
columns and round arches, w^as added by Benedetto da 
Majano. From the steps of the portico there is a fine 
view of the city of Arezzo. 

Above the altar is Parri' s fresco of the Madonna del 
Soccorso, surrounded by a frame of marble and 
enamelled terra-cotta, by Andrea delta Rohbia and his 
assistants. This is the only examiple of Andrea's work as 
a sculptor in marble. Madonna gathers under her mantle 
the men af Arezzo, on one side, and the women on the 
other. In niches at the sides are four saints, the two upper 
being S. Donato and S. Bernardino, the two lower, 
S. Agostino and S. Lorentino. In the angles at the arch are 
medallions of two prophets, and in the lunette, of Madonna 
and Child betw^een two angels. At the foot, a Pieta. 
Andrea's work is supposed to be confined to the dead 
Christ and the four statuettes of saints. The portrait 
statues of S. Donato and S. Bernardino are the most 
pleasing parts of the monument. The Christ is languishing 
and rhetorical, and the figures of Mary and John are 
equally unreal, and less well modelled. 

On the wall of the chapel to the r. is a damaged fresco 



i8o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

attributed to Ptero delta Frances ca. Pope Sixtus IV. is 
enthroned in the centre. He is apparently receiving 
something from the hand of a kneehng lady dressed as a 
nun. On the other side is the Cardinal of Mantua. In 
the frame are a number of medallions with lifelike por- 
traits. 

MONTE SANSAVINO 

An excursion may be made from Arezzo to Monte San- 
savinO; an interesting town about twelve and a half miles, 
distant. 

Leaving Arezzo in a south-westerly direction^ the level 
road passes through the Chiana Valley. This district^ 
in mediaeval times^ was notoriously unhealthy^ on account 
of the marshes and the sluggish course of the Chiana 
river. In 1823^ Count Fossombroni^ by means of canal 
and drainage^ restored the land to a wholesome and fertile 
state. 

[Monte SansavinO; with its church and castello^ appears 
to have existed since the eleventh century. During the 
thirteenth century the castello was one of the principal 
strongholds of the Ubertini family^ exiles from Arezzo and 
allies of the Florentine Republic. When the Guelphs of 
Tuscany were in the ascendancy^ as in 1289^ this town, 
together with other castelli of the Val di Chiana, passed 
under the control of Florence. When, however, the 
Ghibellines, under the able leadership of Castruccio, rose 
to supremacy in 1325, Monte Sansavino fell once more into 
the power of Arezzo, and by order of the Bishop Guido 
Tarlati the walls of the town were broken down, the Guelph 
citizens were driven out and their houses burned. In 
1385 an agreement was made between the two effective 
republics of Tuscany, Florence and Siena, as to the dis- 
posal of the town, which finally became the property of 
Florence. 

Monte Sansavino was the birthplace of Andrea Con- 
tucci, called Sansavino (1460-1529). He is best known 
by his sculpture in Rome, where he made the tombs of 



MONTE SANS AVI NO i8i 

Girolamo Basso and Ascanio Sforza in S. Maria del Popolo 
and a group of Madonna and Child ^ with S. Anne in 
S. Agostino. In Florence he made the group of the Bap- 
tism of Christ over the door of the baptistery opposite to 
the Duomo.] 

In the Church of Sta. Chiara are several pieces of Delia 
Robbia ware. 

To the R.of the door^on entering^is agroup of S.Lawrence 
between the two plague saints, Sebastian and Rocco. The 
figures are robed in dark colour, and framed by a garland 
of fruit. On the opposite w^all is a piece of similar colour, 
with S. Anthony and his symbols, the bell, staff, and pig. 

On the wall pillars, at either side of the altar, are two 
panel pictures in the style of the fifteenth century, with 
gold backgrounds — to the R.,King Louis; to the l.,S. Rocco 
— each accompanied by another saint. In the choir, to the 
r., is the Nativity, attributed to Andrea della Robbia, in 
polychrome ware ; the faces are of unglazed terra-cotta. 
To the L. of the choir is Madonna and Child, with 
SS. Clara and Magdalen, Benedict and Francis. 

On the wall at the back of the altar are two paintings by 
Vasariy S. Jerome and S. Matthew. 

Half way down the Via Ruga is the Palazzo Municipale, 
built by Antonio da San Gallo. The low^er storey is of 
heavy rustic masonry, in the style of the Renaissance 
palaces of Florence. 

Opposite is a loggia, wdth an open fagade, the roof 
sustained by Corinthian pillars; the design is by San- 
savino, 

A little farther along the street is the Church of the 
Misericordia, in which there is a tomb of 1498. 

At the end of the street is the Church of S. Agostino, 
enlarged by Sansavino at the beginning of the sixteenth 
century. The pointed doorway is elaborately decorated 
and has twisted columns. The carvings on the pulpit 
and singing gallery, in the interior, are said to have been 
designed by Sansavino. 

The house of Andrea Sansavino is opposite to S. Agostino. 



i82 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

CASTIGLIONE FIORENTINO 

An excursion may be made by train (thirty minutes) 
from Arezzo to Castiglione Fiorentino (omnibus from 
the station^ 50 cents). 

This small town stands on a hill crowned by the ruins 
of the old fortress^ whose walls are surrounded by olive 
gardens. There are no buildings of architectural import- 
ance^ but in the churches are several interesting pictures. 
The mediaeval town is said to date from 1066^ and was 
successively held by the Aretines^ the Perugians (who 
built the fortress); the Florentines^ and the Tarlati family 
of Pietramala. 

The Collegiata^ a modern building which stands on the 
site of the old Pieve^ is a large spacious churchy with a 
Renaissance portico. Over the first altar^ to the r._, is a 
piece of polychrome Delia Robbia ware : S. Anthony the 
Abbot crowned by two angels. 

Over the third altar^ on the r.^ is a large altar-piece^ by 
Pier Antonio Dei, a Florentine^ prior of a monastery^ and 
known as Don Bartolommeo della Gatta, painted in i486. 
Madonna is enthroned between SS. Peter and Paul; and 
at the foot of the throne are S. Giuliano and S. Michele^ the 
patrons of the town^ represented as two handsome young 
men in picturesque costumes. 

At the crossing in the chapel^ to the r.^ is a large altar- 
piece in Della Robbia ware : the Annunciation, with the 
Immaculate Conception above ; to the l., the Father 
Eternal makes the sign of blessing. 

In the chapel to the r. of the high altar is the Nativity, 
by Lorenzo di Credi, Mary and Joseph kneel in adoration 
beside the Child , who lies on a bundle of straw ; in the 
background is a ruined building and a wonderfully serene 
and peaceful landscape. 

In the first chapel of the L. transept is a large altar- 
piece, by Segna di Bonaventura da Siena. Madonna is 
enthroned in the traditional manner, surrounded with 



CASTIGLIONE FIORENTINO 183 

angels, and at the foot stand S. Donato and S. John the 
Baptist. Below the footstool are the portraits of the four 
donors, with their names inscribed. 

In the second chapel of the l. aisle is a group of Madonna 
and Child, with saints, by // Rosso. 

A collection of pictures is stored in a hall adjoining the 
ohurch, formerly the old baptistery. To the r. on enter- 
ing is the patron of the city, S. Michael, painted by 
Bartolommeo della Gatta. The archangel treads upon the 
dragon, and blesses an infant presented by a kneeling 
w^oman ; in the foreground, the arms of the Visconti. The 
picture was painted for Lorenza, the wife of Paolino 
Visconti, a native of Castiglione. 

In the chapel with the baptismal font is a fine fresco 
of the Deposition, by Luca Signorelli. A sombre sky with 
a line of dark hills across the horizon forms a background 
to the massive figures, in magnificent robes of deep red 
and orange, embroidered with gold. The grief of the 
onlookers is expressed in a conventional fashion; S. John 
throws his head back with upturned eyes, a w^oman 
standing beside him has her finger in the corner of her 
mouth. 

In the chapel is a bas-relief in coloured terra-cotta of 
the Baptism. 

Leaving the chapel, on the r. wall is the Nativity, 
ascribed to II Rosso, also a Madonna della Misericordia, a 
Florentine work of the end of the fifteenth century. 

Over the door, an ancient crucifix of the twelfth century. 
A panel of the Marriage of S. Catherine, by Cecco di Gio- 
vanni of Siena, dated 1457, formerly above the high altar 
in the old Pieve. 

The Churcli of S. Francesco. Over the third altar on 
the R. is an ancient painting of S. Francis holding a red 
cross and a book, attributed to Margaritone, 

In the L. transept, S. Francis receives the stigmata, a 
painting by Bartolommeo della Gatta. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir is a large crucifix 
in the manner of Margaritone. The contorted figure and 



1 84 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

suffering face are in marked contrast to the earlier crucifix 
in the Pinacoteca. 

BORGO S. SEPOLCRO 

This town Hes in the Valley of the Tiber on the confines of 
the province of Tuscany and at the base of the ridge of 
Apennines separating that province from Umbria. The 
train from Arezzo (time^ about two hours) passes through a 
beautiful woodland and mountainous country. 

[Borgo S. Sepolcro is said to have derived its name from 
two pilgrims returning from Palestine^ who were com- 
manded in a vision to build a chapel on this spot, to con- 
tain the relics of the Holy Sepulchre which they had 
brought with them. 

A convent of Camaldolesi monks was established in the 
eleventh century, and the townspeople appear to have lived 
under the civil rule of the abbot. During the twelfth 
century they made repeated attempts to free themselves 
from ecclesiastical control, and to set up a communal 
form of government. When, in punishment of these acts 
of rebellion, the town was placed under interdict, the 
people replied by invading the monastery and transform- 
ing it into a palace for the consuls. 

The independent life of the commune, however, was 
short-lived, for in 1301, having elected Uguccione della 
Faggiuola, a noble of the neighbouring country of the 
Marches, as their podesta, within less than a year they 
found their government changed from that of a free 
commune into a tyranny. The podesta became leader 
of the Ghibelline party. He was appointed Imperial 
Vicar at Genoa by the Emperor Henry VII. and a few 
years later made himself master both of Pisa and Lucca. 
It has been held by some that he was the man spoken 
of by Dante, under the symbolic title of " II Veltro," as 
the future deliverer of Italy (Inf. i. 105). Driven out of 
Pisa and Lucca in 131 6, Uguccione, perhaps in company 
with DantC; took refuge in the court of Can Grande della 



BORGO S. SEPOLCRO 185 

Scala of Verona, and was killed while fighting for this lord 
in 1320. After his death, Borgo S. Sepolcro was contested 
by his descendants, and by the Tarlati, lords of Arezzo. 
Pier Saccone Tarlati, a skilful soldier, conquered a number 
of the castles in the neighbourhood, and was master also of 
Citta di Castello. During the hundred years following 
the death of Pier Saccone, the town had several rulers. 
For some time it was governed by the Bishop of Citta 
di Castello, and in 1436 it was given in feud by Pope 
Eugenius IV. to his general, Fortebracci. Finally, in 1441, 
it was bestowed upon the Florentine Republic by the Pope, 
with the consent of the inhabitants, for the consideration 
of 25,000 ducats of gold.] 

The chief attraction of the town is the masterpiece of 
Piero della Frances ca, in the Palazzo Comunale. This 
artist (Piero di Benedetto dei Franceschi) was born here 
in 1406, and several of his works are to be found in his 
native town. 

The Duomo, close to the Clock Tower, dates from the 
tenth century, but has been modernised. One of the 
capitals in the nave has preserved its Romanesque carving. 

In the north aisle are the wings and predella of an 
altar-piece, the Nativity, now in the National Gallery, 
London, by Piero della Frances ca. 

To the L. of the high altar is a ciborium for the holy 
oil, in Della Robbia ware. 

In the choir, to the R., is the Ascension, by Perugino, 
which, according to Vasari, was painted in Florence, and 
carried on the backs of porters, at great expense, to Borgo 
S. Sepolcro. In this crowded academic composition there 
is none of the restful spaciousness that characterises 
Perugino's finest works. 

To the L. is the Resurrection, a poor painting, by 
Raffaele del Colle. In the south aisle is a monument to 
Bishop Graziani, a work of the fifteenth century in the 
Florentine manner. Also the Incredulity of Thomas, by 
Santi di Tito. 

In the passage to the sacristy are the remains of frescoes 



1 86 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

by Gerino da Pistoia. The figures of S. Benedict and 
S. Barbara are distinguishable. 

In the Palazzo del Comune is the Pinacoteca; which 
contains several interesting pictures. 

In the large hall^, on the end wall^ Piero delta Francesca 
painted the Resurrection^* which is probably the 
artist's finest work. Christ stands erect^ with one foot 
upon the edge of the tomb^ holding in His hand the banner 
of the Resurrection. Over His head is a nimbus of red and 
white roses. The features are calm^ the gaze sombre and 
penetrating. This resolute and dignified figure is set 
against an austere landscape^ with the dawn just breaking 
in the sky. In the foreground are the sleeping soldiers. 
This scene of the triumph over death and the grave has 
been conceived in a stern spirit ; it leaves an unforgettable 
impression. 

The gallery contains a standard by Luca Sigiiorelli, 
painted for the Confraternity of S. Antonio Abbate. On 
one side is the Crucifixion^ with a group of the Maries^ 
S. John^ and S. Anthony. There is a certain grandeur of 
form and beauty of feature among the figures^ but the 
emotion of the mourners is not spontaneous nor convincing. 
On the reverse of the standard are two imposing figures : 
S. Eligio; patron of smiths^ and S. Anthony. 

An altar-piece of the Madonna della Misericordia from 
the Chapel of the Hospital is one of the earliest works of 
Piero della Francesca, painted in memory of the plague of 
1348. The Virgin spreads her dark blue mantle over four 
men on the l. and four women on the R. The upturned 
faces of the suppliants are full of individual character^ and 
look like portraits. The saints are Sebastian and John 
the Baptist^ Savino^ and Bernardino. Above is the 
Crucifixion^ with the Annunciation on the sides. On the 
predella^ scenes of the Passion. 

The other objects of interest in the gallery are a piece 
of Delia Robbia ware^ and the Annunciation^ by Raffaele 
del Colle. 

In the Church of S. Chiara is an Assumption of the 



THE CASENTINO 187 

Virgin^ attributed to Piero delta Francesca. The four 
saints in the foreground are Francis^ Jerome^ Louis of 
Toulouse, and S. Chiara. The Apostles are in the back- 
ground. This is a fine picture, but the lower half is now 
very dark. The angels have the lightness of the Umbrian 
painters, and the landscape also is in the manner of that 
school. It has been suggested that Piero may have begun 
the painting and that someone else finished it. 

THE CASENTINO 

The upper Valley of the Arno, known as the Casentino, 
may be reached either by w^ay of Arezzo or by w^ay of 
S. Ellero and Vallombrosa. 

Vallombrosa 

Vallombrosa is most easily reached from Florence by 
rail. The journey is made by ordinary train as far as 
S. Ellero on the main line to Arezzo, thence by a mountain 
line about five miles long to Saltino, where there are several 
large hotels, and farther by road for about a mile to the 
buildings of the ancient monastery, now a school of 
forestry. The guest-house of the monastery is now a 
hotel, with a dependence, once the hermitage, known as 
II Paradisino, about 200 feet higher up the mountain. 

The Monastery of Vallombrosa was founded by S. 
Giovanni Gualberto (980-1073) in the year 1015. He w^as 
the son of Gualberto dei Bisdomini, his mother being of 
the family of the Marquises of Tuscany. His brother 
having been murdered, the duty of revenge fell upon 
Giovanni. On a certain Good Friday he met the murderer 
in the narrow way that leads from the gate of Florence up 
to the Monastery of S. Miniato. There was no means of 
escape, and Giovanni had already drawn his sword, when 
a thought of the anniversary moved him ; he yielded to 
the appeal for mercy made in the name of Jesus, crucified 
on that day, and pardoned his enemy. In the church he 
prayed for pardon for his evil intention, throwing himself 



1 88 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

at the foot of the crucifix^ and was answered by its bowing 
towards him. He became a monk in the Monastery of S. 
Miniato^ but^ seized by a desire for greater strictness of Ufe 
and a larger soUtude^ he is said to have retired^ at first to 
Camaldoh^and later to Acqua Bella^ since known as Vallom- 
brosa^ where he lived as a hermit. Finally a community 
under the rule of S. Benedict was established. In 1039 the 
Abbess Itta of S. Ilario (S. Ellero) bequeathed her patri- 
mony to the monks. In 1068 Countess Ermellina of the 
Guidi family gave lands^ in right of which the abbots 
became Counts of Magnale. In 11 04 the village of 
Paterno was given by Imilia^ wife of Guido il Marchese of 
the Guidi. The Countess Matilda was also a benefactress. 
The buildings of the monastery^ including the church, 
were enlarged in the fifteenth century, and again in 
1640. 

S. Giovanni Gualberto, S. Romoaldo, and S. Pietro 
Damiano become significant as forerunners of the ecclesi- 
astical reformers of the eleventh century. Montalambert 
says that " the three great reformers of the monastic orders 
in the eleventh century drew from the unequalled austerity 
of their life the energy necessary for triumphing over the 
corruption which surrounded them " ; ^^ their monks came 
forth from the inaccessible and solitary monasteries of 
Camaldoli, Vallombrosa and Fonte Avellana " as "the 
champions of the Catholic reaction." The reforming 
spirit in Tuscany was strongly directed against simony, 
and when a certain Pietro da Pavia, Bishop of Florence, 
was accused, the populace demanded an ordeal by fire. 
This the Bishop refused, but Pietro, a Vallombrosan, after- 
wards known as Pietro Igneo, accepted the trial, and on 
the 13th February 1068 he passed unhurt between two piles 
of burning wood ; the Bishop retired to a monastery and 
the monk was made a cardinal. 

From Vallombrosa the traveller may drive over the range 
of the Pratomagno either to Pratovecchio or to Poppi, in 
the Casentino. 



THE CASENTINO 189 

The Casentino to the east is bounded partly by the main 
chain of the Apennines and partly by a secondary range, 
the Alpe di Catenaja^ including Mount Penna, on which 
stands the convent of La Verna. To the west the valley 
is enclosed by the range of the Pratomagno. Monte Fal- 
terona, on which the Arno rises, at the. northern end of the 
valley, reaches nearly 5400 feet, and many other peaks are 
from 4000 to 5000 feet above sea-level. The principal 
towns are Bibbiena, Poppi, Pratovecchio and Stia ; these 
are all served by a narrow gauge railway from Arezzo. 
Owing to an abundance of water-power, factories have been 
built in some places, but the valley is chiefly dependent 
on farming and forestry. 

[In the Middle Ages the district played an important 
part in Tuscan life ; a wild and mountainous country 
appealed to tb±e spiritual idealists of the time as a retreat 
from the world, the mountain fastnesses and the rich 
valley appealed also to the descendants of Lombard and 
Frankish invaders, who made war a trade. Thus we find 
S. Romualdo (loio) and S. Giovanni Gualberto (1038- 
1039) founding monasteries at Camaldoli and Vallom- 
brosa, and two hundred years later S. Francis received 
the stigmata at La Verna. The district was also the 
centre of the power of the Lombard family of the Guidi, 
who built strongholds in all parts of the country. 

The struggle between commune and castle in North- 
Eastern Tuscany was mainly a contest between Florence 
and the Guidi, only finally settled by the breaking of the 
power of the Counts Guidi in the middle of the fifteenth 
century. The principal seat of their influence in the 
tenth century was in the neighbourhood of Pistoia ; a 
fortunate marriage gave them also the fortress of Modi- 
gliana (near Brisighello, on the line between Faenza and 
Florence), and an interest in the politics of Forli and 
Faenza. From the middle of the eleventh century to 
near the end of the twelfth the Bishops of Pistoia, two of 
them being Vallombrosans, were generally of the Guidi 
family, the see profiting by grants from the reigning counts 



I90 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(as^ for instance^ in the gift of lands at Groppoli in 1043). 
The family was in alliance with the Countess Matilda^ one 
of their number joined tne First Crusaders^ they were also 
on good terms with the monks of Vallombrosa. Their 
policy was therefore at one with the spirit of the time. 

After the death of the Countess Matilda^ when the towns 
began to feel their power^ the Guidi fortified their posses- 
sions at Empoli and Montemurlo. Later in the twelfth 
century Count Guidoguerra was in alliance with Frederick 
Barbarossa^, but his son^ Guido Vecchio^ so far felt the 
influence of his age that he married for his second wife 
Gualdrada^ daughter of a Florentine citizen. At his 
death in 1215 the Guidi had attained to great power and 
wide dominion^ surrounding Florence and commanding 
both sides of the Apennines. 

A few years later his sons made a division of the family 
honours. Guido Magnifico founded the line of the Counts 
of Bagno in Romagna and Battifolle in the Casentino ; 
Tegrimo^ the line of the Counts of Modigliana in Romagna 
and Porciano in the Casentino ; Marcovaldo^ the line of 
Dovadola^ a strong place on the road to Forli ; Aginulf^ 
the line of Romena in the Casentino. The division in the 
family became political at about the same time. Guido 
Novello^ son of Guido Magnifico^ was a bitter partisan of 
the Ghibellines ; he is famous as the one who proposed to 
destroy Florence after the battle of Montaperto in 1260. 
Guidoguerra^ his cousin^ was famous as a Guelph ; he 
fought for the party at Montaperto^ and his nephew/Guido 
SelvaticO; on the same side at Campaldino in 1289. 

The growing wealth of Florence was as dangerous to 
these fighting counts as her military force ; she was 
always ready to exchange florins for land and vassals. 
In the middle of the thirteenth century the counts sold 
Montemurlo^ Empoli and Montevarchi to the Republie ; 
in the fourteenth century Guido Domestica renounced 
his rights in S. Godenzo^ and Romena in the Casentino was 
sold to the Florentines. At the beginning of the fifteenth 
century Count Antonio was obliged to yield up Stia and 



THE CASENTINO 191 

the neighbouring lands in the Casentino. In 1406 a 
bargain was made with another Count Antonio for Monte- 
granelli, and finally Count Francesco of Poppi^ who had 
joined the enemies of the Republic and fought against it 
at the battle of Anghiari^ was deprived in 1440 of all his 
lands, including Poppi, Fronzola^ Montemignaio, and other 
places in the Casentino. About the same time a distant 
cousin^ Ludovico, preferring the peace of the cloister to the 
turmoil of secular life, released his vassals and gave up 
his castle of Porciano to the Florentines. Thus the rule 
of the Guidi was brought to an end by the wealth of 
Florence backed by the sword ; in the Italy of the four- 
teenth and fifteenth centuries it was personal capacity, 
not feudal lordship, that led to greatness. 

To the mountainous country surrounding the Casentino 
Florence owed Andrea del Castagno, supposed to have 
been born at the village of Castagno, to the north of Monte 
Falterona, and Lorenzo Ghiberti, born at Pelago, on the 
road between Pontassieve and Vallombrosa.] 

Suitable accommodation may be had at Bibbiena, Poppi, 
and Pratovecchio. 

The small hill town of Bibbiena is about nineteen miles 
from Arezzo. It stands on a detached ridge in the centre 
of the valley, high above the river and the railway station. 
It forms a striking object from below, and from the piazza 
in the town itself there is an unusually fine view. The Con- 
vent of La Verna is seen to the right, the Castle of Poppi 
stands some three miles higher up the valley, and to the 
left is the mass of the Pratomagno. 

In early times the place belonged to the Bishop of 
Arezzo. In the war between the Ghibellines of Arezzo 
and the Guelphs of Florence, which led up to the battle of 
Campaldino in 1289, Bishop Ubertini led his followers, and 
after their defeat the walls of Bibbiena were destroyed by 
the victorious Florentines. A succeeding bishop, the 
famous Guido Tarlati, refortified the town, and left it to his 



192 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

nephew^ Pier Tarlati^ who held it by permission of the 
Florentines ; his son Marco was finally dispossessed by 
the Republic in 1359. In 1440 the famous condottieri, 
PiccininO; General of the Duke of Milan^ held the town for 
a short time ; again in 1498 the Venetians^ in alliance with 
the Medici^ who had been driven out of Florence^ occupied 
the place^ and in 1509 the walls were dismantled. 

Bernardo Dovizi is perhaps the most widely known citizen 
of Bibbiena. He was sent as a boy to Florence^ where he 
was brought up with the sons of Lorenzo the Magnificent. 
A characteristic churchman of the Renaissance^ he formed 
one of the brilhant members of the Court of Leo X.^ who 
made him a cardinal, Raphael painted his portrait (now 
in the gallery of the Prado). He was the author of a play, 
the Calandruj acted before the Court at Urbino and at 
Rome in presence of the Pope ; he appears as one of the 
guests described by Baldassare Castiglione in his ^' Book 
of the Courtier." 

In the Chiesa. Propositura, behind the altar^ there is a 
painting in the Florentine manner of the fifteenth-century 
school of Bicci di Lorenzo : Madonna and Child. To the 
R., SS. James the Great and Christopher ; to the l., 
S. John Baptist and a soldier saint^ probably S. Hippolytus. 
The picture is painted on a gilt background; and set in a 
frame of pointed design. 

In the Church of S. Lorenzo there are two works in 
glazed terra-cotta^ attributed to Giovanni delta Rohhia, a 
Nativity and a Deposition from the Cross. 

La Verna 

The Franciscan convent and churches of La Verna are 
built upon the rocky cliffs of a spur from the Alpi di 
Catena] a^ which divide the valleys of Tiber and Arno. 

The road from Bibbiena (twelve kilometreS;, about two 
hours' driving) passes through beautiful woodland country^ 
and the striking outline of La Verna is visible on the hori- 
zon almost the whole way. It was to this place that 



LA VERNA 193 

S. Francis came^ seeking for some solitary spot where he 
might pass the forty days' vigil in honour of the Archangel 
Michael. Some time before^ while on his way to Romagna^ 
Francis had passed by the castle of Montefeltro^ where 
there were great festivities on the occasion of the knighting 
of one of the counts. After he had preached in the court- 
yard; one of the guests^ Orlando^ Lord of Chiusi^, a small 
town on a mountain spur near to La Verna^ said to him : 
'' I have a mountain in Tuscany which is called Alvernia^ 
very lonely and right well fitted for whoso may wish to do 
penance ; if it should please thee^ right willingly I would 
give it to thee for the salvation of my soul." S. Francis 
accepted the offer^ and sent two of the brethren to see the 
mountain. They were accompanied by Orlando and fifty 
men at arms to defend them from wild beasts ; and having 
found a part well fitted for devotion and contemplation, 
they made a little cell of branches. On their return 
S. Francis set out with three chosen companions to keep 
the fast of S. Michael. The keeping of the fast was the out- 
ward purpose, but inwardly the saint seems to have been 
driven by a longing for some solitary spot where he might 
strip himself of all earthly interests and enter more fully 
into the love of God. On the way the brethren borrowed 
an ass for Francis, who was much weakened by long vigils. 
When they had started, the peasant, the master of the ass, 
said, " Art thou truly Brother Francis of Assisi ? " and 
Francis said, '' Yes.'' " Try, then," said the peasant, '' to 
be as good as thou art held to be, seeing that many have 
great faith in thee." Whereupon Francis humbly thanked 
him for having thus admonished him. 

Wlien they reached the foot of the rock of Alvernia 
itself they sat down to rest under an oak, and a great 
multitude of birds came and settled round about them. 
^^ I believe, brothers," said Francis, '* that it is pleasing to 
our Lord Jesus Christ that we should dwell in this lonely 
mountain, seeing that our little sisters and brothers the 
birds show such joy at our coming." 

A chapel was built, in 1602, on the spot where the oak 



194 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

stood. It is reached by a footpath in ten minutes from 
the hamlet^ La Beccia^ where the carriage road ends. 

The massive chffs rise up steeply in front Uke the walls 
of a fortress. They are crowned with woods of beech and 
pine 5 and flowers grow freely on the rocks and in the 
crevices. 

The entrance into the piazza is through a low stone 
gateway^ over which is inscribed^ " non est in toto sanctior 
orbe mons." In the centre is a well of 151 7 and a bronze 
statue of the saint placed here in 1902. 

(The brothers offer food to all visitors and pilgrims^ but 
only men can be lodged for the night.) 

The buildings are of no architectural importance. The 
Church of the Angels was built in the lifetime of S. Francis. 
The large church is of the fourteenth century, and the 
convent, which has over a hundred cells, was rebuilt 
after a fire in 1472. There are no notable pictures in the 
churches, but there are several fine pieces of Delia Robbia 
ware. 

The Chiesina degli Angeli is visited first. It was begun 
before the death of S. Francis. On the fagade are coats-of- 
arms of the Catani of Chiusi, and of the Florentine republic. 
The consuls of the Arte della Lana of Florence became 
custodians of the goods of the convent in 1432, and this 
right passed in time to the commune of Florence. 

The interior is divided by a screen on which are glazed 
terra-cotta panels of the Deposition, the Nativity, and 
Madonna and Child. Beyond the screen, over the altar, 
is a fine work by Andrea della Robbia, the Assumption of 
the Virgin : S. Thomas receives the girdle in the fore- 
ground, behind him kneels S. Gregory, and on the other 
side are SS. Francis and Bonaventura. In the predella 
is a tabernacle guarded by angels, and surrounded by a 
charming frame. This altar-piece is one of Andrea's finest 
works. A special devotion to Francis seems to have 
quickened the imagination of this artist, and his best 
pieces are those in which the little Brother of Assisi 
appears. 



LA VERNA 195 

Behind the high altar a stair leads to the Upper Church, 
or Chiesa Grande, begun in 1348 by Tarlato, Count of 
Pietramala, and Giovanna, Countess of Santa Fiora, his 
wife. It was finished by the consuls of the Arte della 
Lana, and the Florentines. The roof is vaulted ; there 
are side chapels, but no aisles. To the r. of the entrance 
are statues, under niches, of S. Anthony the Abbot and 
S. Francis, work of the Delia Robbia school. The artist 
has given an expression of joyful alertness to S. Francis 
in contrast with the melancholy languor of S. Anthony. 

In the chapel to the l. of the choir is the Ascension, the 
work of Giovanni della Robhia. The eleven Disciples and 
the aged Madonna kneel together, gazing upwards. Behind 
them are stony hills capped with trees. The angels sur- 
rounding the ascending Saviour regard Him with reverent 
ardour. 

In the L. aisle, under a tabernacle, is a very beautiful 
Annunciation, by Andrea della Rohbia. The two figures are 
full of quiet dignity and grace, and are surrounded by a 
charming frame of delicate Renaissance ornament. 

Opposite, in the R. aisle, in the Cappella Brizzi, a girlish 
figure of Madonna kneels in adoration of the Child lying 
on a rock. Above, in the sky, the Father Eternal appears 
with a host of angels, holding a scroll, '' Gloria in excelsis 
Deo." There are some very charming faces among the 
angelic babies in the frame. 

In the same aisle, near to the west door, is an altar-piece 
by Giovanni della Robbia of Madonna and Child, with 
anchorite and ascetic saints, Francis, Magdalen, Anthony 
the Abbot, lean and worn seekers after the perfect life in 
solitary places. 

In front of the Chiesa Grande is a narthex, and at one 
end, close to the passage which leads to the Church of the 
Stigmata, is the entrance to the Cappella della Pieta, 
which contains a polychrome altar-piece by the scholars 
of the Delia Robbia. It is a gaudy production with little 
significant feeling. 

From the narthex we enter the corridor on the r. The 



196 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

walls are covered with frescoes illustrating the life of 
S. Francis; originally painted in the sixteenth century by 
an unknown artist^ but greatly restored in modern times. 
Half way along the corridor a small door opens on to the 
passage leading down to a cavern in the rocks^ where the 
stone upon which S. Francis slept is shown. Near this is a 
model of the Holy Sepulchre. 

At the end of the corridor on the l. a door opens into the 
Chapel of S. Sebastian^ built in 1480 by a citizen of Arezzo^ 
who fled here for refuge from the plague. This was the 
burial-place of the Frati for many years. 

From here we descend a long and steep stairway^ which 
leads out to a pathway along the top of the great bastion 
of rock. At the foot of the precipice are level stretches of 
pasture fields^ and in the distance Bibbiena and Poppi^ and 
other towns of the Casentino^ rise above the river-level^ 
upon slopes covered with olives and vines. 

It was on these cliffs, during the time of the forty days' 
fast, that Francis met the devil, who came in a terrible 
aspect with a tempest of wind and struck at the saint to 
thrust him down the precipice. Francis, commending him- 
self to God, turned his face to the rock, and the stone 
hollowed itself out to form a refuge for him. 

At the end of the gangway is a small chapel dedicated 
to S. Anthony of Padua, who in 1230 passed a time of 
contemplation in a cell on this spot. The statue of 
S. Anthony is modern. 

Climb the stair and turn to the right into the Chapel of 
the Cross, formerly the cell to which S. Francis withdrew 
when he wished to be entirely alone and beyond the reach 
of the voices of the brethren. 

Brother Leo had orders to come once a day, bringing a 
little bread and water ; and he and the saint said matins 
together. A falcon that was building her nest hard by 
woke him every night, a little before matins, by beating 
her wings against the wall of the cell. Francis " had great 
joy of this clock, which kept him from idleness and spurred 
-him on to pray." 



LA VERNA 197 

The Chapel of the Cross^ built in 1263^ was originally 
covered with frescoes by Taddeo Taddi^ and had an altar- 
piece^ by Giotto^ of S. Francis clinging to the side of the 
cliff. The terra-cotta statue is modern. 

Descend a steep stair to the Chapel of S. Bonaventura^ 
which contains nothing of special interest. Reascend 
the stair and enter the Chiesa della Stimata;, built near the 
spot where Francis received the supreme revelation of the 
love of God. It had been borne in upon the mind of 
Francis that as he had followed Christ in the acts of His life^ 
so he ought to be conformed to Him in His sorrow and 
Passion^ before he came to death. On the day of the Holy 
Cross, before dawn^ he fell upon his knees and prayed that 
he might feel in his soul the great love that had made the 
Son of God willing to suffer for sinners^ and that he might 
feel in his body the pain that Christ endured on the Cross. 

While he was thus set on fire with contemplation^ he saw 
a seraph with six wrings, bearing the image of a crucified 
man. As he marvelled at this strange vision^ filled with 
joy at the gracious look of Christy and filled with pity for 
the suffering, the meaning of the vision was revealed to 
him, ^' not by the martyrdom of the body, but by the 
enkindling of the mind must he be w^holly transformed 
into the image of Christ crucified." Then Christ spoke 
" certain high and secret things," and when the vision 
vanished, " in the heart of Francis was an exceeding 
ardour of divine love, and in his flesh a copy of the passion 
of Christ." 

Above the altar is the Crucifixion, by Andrea della Rohbia. 
The air is filled with bewailing angels whose fluttering 
wings and garments and outstretched arms give a sense 
of impotent desperate grief. Mary and John at the foot 
of the cross are noble figures. S. Francis kneeling beside 
Mary appears to be showing her the marks of the stigmata. 
S. Jerome, on the other side, it is said, is introduced to 
record the fact that S, Francis came down from the 
mountain, for the last time, on the festa of this saint, the 
3cth September. 



198 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Returning to the outside corridor^ just before reaching 
the piazza there are two small chapels^ built one above 
the other^ on the spot where S. Francis made his cell during 
one of his visits to the mountain. The upper chapel was 
dedicated in the name of S. Pietro d 'Alcantara of the Frati 
Riformatori^ in 1669^ when it was restored. A steep stair 
leads to the lower chapel of the Magdalen. A block of 
stone is shown as that upon which the angel sat when he 
appeared to S. Francis and comforted him as to the future 
of the Brethren. 

From the Chapel of S. Pietro d 'Alcantara^ to the l.^ a 
long stair^ cut on the side of the cliffy leads down to the 
Sasso Spicco^ a huge mass of rock overhanging a damp 
cavern. While standing beside this cavern one day it 
was revealed to Francis that the rocks were riven and 
these marvellous clefts formed at the hour of the Passion of 
Christ. 

Poppi 

Poppi^ like Bibbiena^ stands on a detached hill in the 
valley. A steep path leads in twenty minutes from the 
railway station to the town. The history and importance 
of the place is bound up with the fortunes of the Guidi 
family. The first who bore the title of the Count of Poppi 
is supposed to have been Guido Vecchio^ who died in 12 15. 
After his death the family honours were divided among his 
sons^ and Guido Magnifico thus becamxC the founder of the 
line of the counts of Bagno and Battifolle. He had two 
sons^ Guido Novello^ the Ghibelline^ who desired to destroy 
Florence after the battle of Monteaperto ; and Simone^ who 
joined the Guelph party. The latter is said to have sur- 
rounded Poppi with walls in 1261. Guido Novello^ who 
survived his brother^ was one of the Ghibelline leaders at 
the battle of Campaldino^ fought in the plain between 
Poppi and the village of Certemondo in 1289. Seeing that 
the day was going in favour of the Florentines^ Guido fled 
to his castle of Poppi without joining in the fight. After 
the battle the castle was destroyed. The Florentines 



POPPI 199 

allowed Count Guido of Battifolle (son of the Guelph 
Simone) to rebuild it. The work is ascribed to Arnolfo 
del Camhio or his master, Lapo. Arnolfo was building the 
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence at the same time, and the one 
building is said to have served as a model for the other. 
This castle was the scene of the final extinction of the power 
of the Guidi family. Count Francesco was the fifteenth in 
descent from the first known count. He succeeded to a 
large part of the family estates in the Casentino, but his 
ambition and his savage temper were not allied with 
political foresight. The end came after the battle of 
Anghiari in 1440, when the Florentines w^on an almost 
bloodless victory over the Milanese. Count Francesco 
had joined the enemies of the comm.une and he was ex- 
pelled from his estates, leaving the castle with only his 
family and his movables. 

Poppi is almost exactly in the centre, north and south, 
east and west of the Casentino. Standing on high ground, 
detached from the spurs of the mountain ranges on either 
side, it has a commanding position; the view in all direc- 
tions is correspondingly striking. 

As the visitor enters the town by the steep footpath 
from the station, the Church of S. Fedele is to the R. The 
monastery attached to the church was built in 1195 by 
the Abbot of Strumi, an earlier foundation near Poppi 
now almost entirely destroyed. A covered cloister entered 
from the church was the burial-place of many of the Guidi 
family. The monuments were destroyed by order of Pius V. 
Within the church, over the third altar to the L., there is a 
large panel. Madonna, and the Child on her right arm^. 
Angels stand behind the throne ; the Child is middle-aged. 
The picture is painted on a gold background. It recalls 
the work of the Sienese at the end of the thirteenth or the 
beginning of the fourteenth century ; stiff and hard in 
style, it has an emotional force, a solemn dignity often 
found in the work of that school and period. The view 
from the little piazza in front of the western door of the 
church is unusually fine. 



200 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The main street follows the ridge on which the town 
stands ; at the end farthest from S. Fedele a road leads 
up to the Castle. In front of this building there is a small 
meadow which commands wide views of the valley and the 
surrounding mountain chains. Enter the castle through 
a gateway leading into a small court. The carving of the 
lion over the inner doorway is ascribed to a sculptor. 
Tur riant y in the fifteenth century. The walls of the inner 
court of the castle are covered with coats-of-arms^ some 
of them in glazed terra-cotta. The staircase is of pictur- 
esque construction. Over the entrance to it is the Guidi 
coat-of-arms^ a lion rampant. On the landing of the second 
floor there are remains of a fresco of the Wheel of Fortune. 
The suite of rooms is fine^ and the Salone Grande is typical 
of the power and wealth of its builders^ no less than of their 
magnificent conception of the art of living ; at the farther 
end of the room there is a relief in glazed earthenware. 
Madonna in Assumption drops her girdle to one of the 
kneeling figures below. Out of the empty tomb spring 
lilies. 

At the top of the staircase, on the landing of the third 
floor, is a statue supposed to represent Count Guido of 
Battifolle (the son of Simoneand nephew of Guido Novello), 
who rebuilt the castle after its destruction in 1289. In 
this upper storey there is another series of fine rooms : in 
one, Madonna and Child, with saints ; in another, a smaller 
fresco with Madonna and Child, SS. John Baptist and 
Francis. Beneath the castle are the ancient prisons. 
The interior of the building has undergone a drastic 
restoration that, for the time being, lessens its charm. 

Below the castle is the church of the Augustinian nuns. 
In it there is a polychrome relief in glazed earthenware, a 
Nativity; to the l., Madonna and the Child, wdth S. Joseph; 
and in the foreground, two mendicants. On the predella, 
the Annunciation, Salutation, Adoration of the Magi, 
and Assumption. The faces of some of the principal 
figures are unglazed. In a part of the convent not open 
to the public there is a tondo in a finely carved frame 



CAMALDOLl ^ot 

representing Madonna and Child; with S. Mary Magdalen ; 
it IS ascribed, without any probability, to Botticelli. 

An excursion may be made from Poppi to Menanno. 
Leave Poppi station by the highroad leading towards 
Bibbiena, in about half-an-hour the hamlet of Menanno 
is seen on the hillside to the l. The walk from the 
station to Menanno takes about an hour. The few houses 
clustered round the church are unusually squalid, but the 
view is magnificent. On the hill opposite is the ruin of the 
castle of Fronzola, at one time a strong fortress in con- 
tention between the Tarlati and the Guidi ; the former 
held it from 1322 to 1344, and after the beginning of the 
fifteenth century it was dismantled. 

Within the church of Menanno, over an altar to the R., 
there is a large relief in glazed terra-cotta, representing the 
Descent of the Holy Spirit. The figures are white, on a 
blue ground ; the picture is framed in a series of cherubs' 
heads, with egg and dart decoration in the moulding. In 
the upper part of the relief the Dove descends from the 
Father Eternal; beneath. Madonna and the Twelve Apostles 
kneel, with upturned faces moved by wonder and spiritual 
enthusiasm. The angels at the side are refined conceptions 
of ardent devotion. 

A fine processional cross is also preserved in the church. 
On one side appears the Crucified Christ, with the Father 
Eternal, Madonna, S. John and S. Mary Magdalen at the 
extremities of the arms. On the other side the Lamb is in 
the centre, with the Four Evangelists at the extremities. 

Oamaldoli 

The station at Poppi is the one nearest to Camaldoli, 
the original monastery of the Camaldolese order. The 
drive takes about two hours ; walkers may follow a shorter 
route along the hillside. Pass through the village of 
Lierna, from which place the climb is continuous, the differ- 
ence in level between the station at Poppi and Camaldoli 
being about 1300 feet. Two to two and a half hours 



202 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

should be allowed for the walk up^ and one and a half to 
two hours for the descent. The monastery originally in- 
habited by the monks of the order is now a hotel (open in 
summer) ; the Sacro Eremo^ inhabited still by the hermits 
of the order^ lies about 960 feet higher up the mountain — 
a walk of one and a quarter to one and a half hours. 

S. Romoaldo (96o-io27)_, contemporary with S. Giovanni 
Gualberto (980-1073)^ and S. Pietro Damiano (988-1072), 
spent the early part of his life in reforming Benedictine 
monasteries. In 1012 he founded a community at Camal- 
doli;, the one part of which dwelt as hermits at the Sacro 
Eremo^ while the other lived the common life proper to 
Benedictine monks at the monastery then known as Fonte 
Buono. The order was confirmed by Pope Alexander II. 
in 1072. S. Romoaldo left no written rule^ but his ideal 
seems to have been that of the lives of the Fathers in the 
desert. Each hermit lived in his own cell^ and they met 
only for the Divine office. In 11 80 Prior Rudolph gave a 
written constitution by which the practice of S. Romoaldo 
was relaxed. The hermits were allowed to eat in common, 
fish and wine were used occasionally, and silence was less 
strictly enjoined. It is understood that to-day the rule is, 
that, except on certain feasts, meals are eaten in the cells, 
and two or three times a week talking is allowed as 
part of the recreation following the midday meal. Each 
hermit has a garden attached to his cell. He rises half-an- 
hour after midnight for matins and meditation ; prime is 
said at sunrise. 

Many notable men have been connected with the 
Camaldolese order : S. Pietro Damiano ; Guido Monaco, a 
musician and inventor of staff notation ; Gratian, canon- 
ist ; Lorenzo Monaco, painter ; Ambrogio Traversari, a 
scholar of the Early Renaissance ; Fra Mauro, map maker ; 
Guido Grandi, mathematician ; Niccolo Malermi, trans- 
lator of the Bible into Italian ; Mariotti, who entertained 
Ficino. 

In its secular aspect the abbacy constituted a feud over 
which the abbot ruled till 1776. When' Venetian troops 



PRATOVECCHIO 203 

occupied the Casentino in 1498 Basilio Nardi victoriously 
defended the monastery and greatly assisted the Floren- 
tines in the open field. 

Pratovecchio 

Pratovecchio, unlike Bibbiena and Poppi^ lies in the valley 
on the banks of the Arno. The river makes the character 
of the place. The sound of the torrent is continuous^ and 
there is a fine view from the bridge upwards and down- 
wards. The railway station^ almost equidistant from 
Pratovecchio and Stia^ is about three quarters of a mile 
away. The visitor is recommended to make Pratovecchio 
his headquarters during a visit to the north-western 
corner of the Casentino^ and in the description of the 
excursions this will be assumed. 

The early history of Pratovecchio is connected with the 
Guidi family. Countess Imilia^ the widow of the Count 
known as Guido^ II Marchese^ lived here^ and in ii34(?) 
she founded the convent which still exists ; her daughter 
Sofia was the first abbess ; this lady had unusual force of 
character^ and appears to have been much concerned in 
ruling the family lordships as well as her convent. 

The castle has practically disappeared ; at one time^ 
in the beginning of the fourteenth century^ it was the 
dwelling-place of Count Guido Selvatico^ who^ like his 
uncle^ Guidoguerra^ and his son^ Ruggiero^ was a strong 
Guelph. Selvatico is said to have been concerned in the 
sale of the Guidi lordships in Montemurlo; Montevarchi^ 
and EmpcJi to the commune of Florence. 

Excursions from Pratovecchio 

Eomena 

The first excursion which the visitor will desire to 
make will probably be to Romena^ which overlooks the 
town so impressively. Cross the bridge over the Arno ; 



^04 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the road to the l. leads to the church of Romena^ whence a 
steep path leads up to the castle; the road to the r. 
(the Consuma road) leads to the castle^ whence the path 
descends to the church. The most convenient plan is" to 
take the road to the r. and visit the castle first. It stands 
on an outlying spur from whence there is a magnificent 
view. Porciano and Papiano lie to the north ; above 
rises Falterona ; to the south stretches the Arno Valley, 
with Borgo alia CoUina^ Poppi and Bibbiena each on its 
own well-defined hill. The castle is in ruins ; only parts 
of three ruined towers remain. It v/as sold to the com- 
mune of Florence in 1357. The hill on which the castle 
stands is closely cultivated ; the path leads down a series of 
terraces^ to the church. This is one of the buildings attri- 
buted to the Countess Matilda. The date 11 52 is carved on 
one of the capitals, and the detail throughout is character- 
istic of the twelfth century. In 1678 the fagade and the 
two western bays of the nave were ruined by a subsidence 
of the earth ; there are now only four bays in the nave, 
and this gives an impression of unusual breadth. In 1729 
damage was done by an earthquake, and the interior has 
lately been restored. In spite of all vicissitudes, it remains 
the best example of Romanesque architecture in the valley. 
The altar is raised above the nave by four high steps, the 
columns are heavy, the capitals are large solid masses of 
stone, the carving on them is interesting and barbarous, 
the semi-dome is arched in stone, the nave and aisles have 
wooden roofs, three small windows on each side light the 
nave. The ancient stonework has been cleared so that 
the building is once more seen in its original harmony of 
form and colour. 

The carving of the capitals is characteristic of the twelfth 
century ; less use is made of animal forms than in Lom- 
bardy, but there is abundant symbolism of the vine, of 
birds feeding, of the cross and of trees. Angelic figures are 
common, and although it is impossible to refer such rude 
work to classical forms, it may be said that some imitation 
of the Ionic volute is usual. One of the more elaborate 




Photograph . Alinari 

INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH AT ROMEXA 
Near Pratovecchio in the Casentino 



PORCIANO 205 

capitals has the presentation of the keys to S. Peter^ a ship^ 
and the symbols of the Evangelists. 

There are in the church a few damaged pictures : 
Madonna and Child on gold background ; Madonna and 
Child, with SS. Peter and Paul, etc. 

Not less than three hours should be allowed for the walk 
up to the castle, down to the church, and the return to 
Pratovecchio. 

Porciano 

Pass through Stia, climb to the top of the broad, open 
street, take the path to the R. and climb the steep foot- 
path; Porciano is reached in about half-an-hour from 
Stia and in one hour from Pratovecchio. Porciano is said 
to have been one of the earlier places belonging to the 
Guidi in the Casentino. In the thirteenth and fourteenth 
centuries the counts were on bad terms with the Floren- 
tines : one w^as condemned to pay a heavy fine for robbing 
travellers ; another. Count Guidalberto, caused a messenger 
to eat the citation which he bore from the commune, order- 
ing the Count to appear and answer the charge of having 
plotted against the Republic. A son of Guidalberto was 
killed by vassals. After the death of Guidalberto the 
castle is said to have passed into the hands of the Floren- 
tines ; the Guidi, however, must have been allowed some 
foothold, for his great-grandson, who died in 1455 or 1456, 
preferring the quiet of the cloister to the turmoil of the 
world, is said to have released his vassals, given his pro- 
perty to the commune, and entered the Camaldolese order. 

The tower of the castle still stands, although one of its 
sides has been rent from top to bottom. 

In the church there is a pleasant picture in the Florentine 
manner. In the centre, the Annunciation; to the l., 
SS. Michael the Archangel and James ; to the r., SS. John 
Evangelist and Paul. On the predella, the story of the 
Miracle of Monte Gargano, the Nativity, and the Martyr- 
dom of S. John. The picture is painted on a gold back- 
ground and is set in a frame of pointed design. 



2o6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

From the little piazza of the hamlet Romena stands out 
boldly; beneath it the Arno winds down the valley; beyond 
are the hills of Poppi and Bibbiena. A path leads in three 
or three and a half hours to Falterona. 

About three hours should be allowed for this excursion^ 
starting from Pratovecchio. 



Montemignaio 

With a pair of horses and a light vehicle it is possible to 
make the excursion from Pratovecchio by Strada and the 
Scheggia torrent to Montemignaio^ returning by the 
Consuma road, in about eight hours. This route includes 
some of the most beautiful parts of the district ; competent 
walkers will find no difficulty in bringing it within a day's 
work. 

From Pratovecchio take the main road to Porrena^ cross 
the bridges over the Arno and Rio, and reach the village of 
Strada in about an hour. 

At the entrance of the village is the Church of S. Martino 
a vado, one of those ascribed to the Countess Matilda. 
The church as a whole has lost its Romanesque character ; 
only the capitals of the same general type as at Stia and 
Romena remain. Stiff, formal foliage of an elementary 
kind is the most common decoration. One capital has a 
knight on horseback, an animal with bifurcated tail and a 
rude human figure reminiscent of the standing stones 
found in Scotland. 

On a steep rock above the village is the ruin of the Castle 
of S. Niccolo ; it belonged to Guglielmo Novello, the son 
of the Ghibelline Guido Novello. Galeotto, the son of 
Guglielmo, led such a disorderly life that the people 
rebelled, drove him out, and surrendered to the commune 
of Florence ; this happened in 1348. In the next century 
Count Francesco of Poppi, with his ally Piccinino, the 
general of the Duke of Milan, attacked the castle, and took 
it after a vigorous defence ; the cruelty of Count Francesco 
after the siege would have been ample justification for his 



MONTEMIGNAIO 207 

expulsion from Poppi in 1440^ apart from his alliance with 
the enemies of the commune. 

Proceeding up the Valley of the Solano torrent a succes- 
sion of villages is passed : Prato^, Rifiglio^ and Pagliariccio. 
At Rifiglio a road leads up the side valley of the Rifiglio 
torrent^ to the site of the Guidi castle of Battifolle and to 
the village of Cajano. After passing Pagliariccio the road 
begins to rise rap idly ^ following the Scheggia torrent. The 
road is cleverly engineered along the precipitous sides of 
the valley^ which is filled with chestnut woods. Here and 
there the views of the snow-topped mountains^ of the 
deeply cut valleys^ of the torrent far beloW; or of La 
Verna in the blue distance^ are of unusual beauty. 

Montemignaio is reached after a climb of one and a half 
hours. It consists of a number of hamlets. In the first is 
the parish church ; among the houses on the top of the 
hill^ high above the Pieve, is the castle. 

The church is one of those ascribed to the Countess 
Matilda. The nave is divided into six bays. The roofs of 
the semi-dome of nave and aisles are of wood. Of the 
ten detached supports of the nave walls six are square piers 
of the simplest kind^ the other four are columns with 
capitals of the same fashion as those in the sister churches 
at Romena^ Stia and Strada. Most of them are carved 
with rude leaf forms of bold design. A capital to the R. 
of the choir has a characteristic tree between two angels. 
In the L. aisle there is a picture ascribed to Ridolfo Ghir- 
landajo, Madonna and Child ; to the l.^ SS. Gregory the 
Great and Bonaventura; to the r.^ SS. Augustine and 
Dominic. In the R. aisle there is a glazed terra-cotta 
design in polychrome^ Madonna and Child; with S. Anthony 
the Abbot to the l. and S. Sebastian to the R. 

On several of the piers there are fragments of frescoes. 
The church has been renewed and restored within and 
without ; the work has been carefully done and the general 
effect is simple and good. There is still a sense of venerable 
dignity in the interior. A steep hill leads in a few minutes 
to the Castle standing on an isolated point from which 



2o8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

there are magnificent views. The enclosure is entered 
under a pointed arch ; there is still a good deal of mediaeval 
masonry^ but the tower alone represents the castle which 
was lost to the Guidi in the revolt against Galeotto^ son of 
Guglielmo Novello^ in the middle of the fourteenth century. 
Ruin as it is^ the tower is a most impressive object from 
all the country round. The road which leads to the Con- 
suma descends the hill rapidly amidst chestnut woods ; at 
the foot of the hill is a small wayside chapel connected 
with some who have passed a strictly hermit life in this 
singularly sequestered spot. From this point the road 
rises up to the Consuma route^ which crosses the Prato- 
magno range in a bleak tracts poorly cultivated and of 
desolate appearance. As the road descends towards 
Pratovecchio the views of the Casentino^ with its busy 
villages^ its little hill cities^ its ruined castles^ its broad 
lands bearing corn and wine^ its chains of snow-covered 
peaks^ and the Arno winding through it all^ and growing 
gradually into a great river^ are not easily forgotten. 

S. Maria delle Grazie 

Pass through Stia^ and at the top of the wide street take 
the footpath to the l. Follow the line of the mountain-side 
under Porciano^ pass the bridge crossing the Arno (but 
do not cross it); and climb the steep hill on which the 
church stands. The walk takes about one and a half hours. 
In returning it may be varied by following a path along the 
Arno from the bridge to Stia. The time required is about 
the same. From the terrace in front of the church the 
upper Valley of the Arno is seen far beneath ; on the moun- 
tains opposite are the villages of Coffia^ Campo Lombardo^ 
and Castel Castagnaio. The line of the river caught here 
and there in its winding course is marked by poplars^ and 
in spring there is everywhere a scent of violets and prim- 
roses; which grow in wild profusion. 

The Church is a plain buildings containing some inter- 
esting things. Enter by the side door. To the R.^ Madonna 



. STIA 209 

and Child in the Florentine style of the fifteenth century ; 
to the L. of the entrance^ a large crucifix. On the wall 
opposite^ near the choir^ Madonna and Child^ with angels ; 
and under a side altar, Annunciation in glazed terra-cotta. 
The choir is elaborately decorated. A frieze of small angel 
heads, wath pale yellow^ wings, on a blue ground, small 
Crucifixions, on a red ground, occur in three central points 
of the design ; also reliefs of the Evangelists in white glaze 
on a blue ground. Behind the altar, on the wall of 
the apse, a picture. Madonna and Child, wath SS. John the 
Baptist and Catherine to the l. and two other saints to 
the R., probably painted in the sixteenth century. On the 
wall to the r. of the choir there is a glazed earthenware 
relief of the Nativity, the principal faces being unglazed. 
On the L. wall another glazed terra-cotta represents the 
vision of Madonna which appeared in 1428 to a peasant 
woman working near by. Her story w^as disbelieved. On 
a second occasion Madonna gave a lighted torch to the 
peasant, who was able to carry it burning steadily to Stia. 
The miracle was accepted, and the church was built. 

Stia 

A walk of about half-an-hour past the railway station, 
which serves both places, leads to the busy town of Stia. 

On the hill leading dow^n to the bridge is the small 
Church of Madonna del Ponte. On the r. wall is a poly- 
chrome relief in glazed terra-cotta, Madonna and Child, 
with SS. Sebastian and Rocco. Cross the bridge over the 
Staggia torrent and enter the broad and steep street of the 
town. There was formerly a castle of the Guidi family 
in this place : the last Count Antonio was obliged to cede 
his castle and the lands of Pelagio, Pappiano, Lonnano, 
etc., to the commune of Florence in 1402 ; and the castle 
was allowed to fall into ruin. 

The Church which stands in the main street is one of 
those ascribed to the Countess Matilda. The nave con- 
sists of six bays ; it has a w^aggon vault^ the aisles have 



210 THE SMALLER TUSGAN TOWNS 

domical vaults^ probably not of ancient date. The ex- 
terior has lost all character^ and within there is little or 
nothing to mark its twelfth-century origin except the 
capitals of the nave columns^ which are of the same general 
design as those of Romena^ Strada^ and Montemignaio. 
These Romanesque capitals are vigorous pieces of con- 
struction — the abacus is substantial^ the mass of the capital 
is large and bold^ the usual basis of design is the volute 
supported by small pillars resting on foliage of elementary 
form. The human figure is very rude^ note^ for instance^ 
the man bearing a staff ; another figure consists mainly of 
caligraphic flourishes^ an angel near the left-hand entrance 
door has a majestic sweep of wing : the general effect is 
more formal and stiff than at Romena. 

On the R. wall of the church there is a small panel, 
Madonna and Child, painted on a gold background. In 
the chapel to the r. of the choir there is a receptacle for the 
holy oil in glazed terra-cotta. 

The four Romanesque churches in the upper Casentino 
have a good deal in common. Except at Stia, the nave 
and aisles have timber roofs. The naves are or have been 
six or seven bays in length. The pitch of the nave columns 
varies from about 15 feet at Stia to 18 feet at Strada. 
The naves at Romena and Montemignaio are about 27 
feet wide ; those at Strada and Stia, 30 feet. The aisles 
at Stia are about 15 feet wide ; at Montemignaio, 16 feet ; 
at Romena and Strada, 18 feet. At Romena, Strada and 
Montemignaio there are semicircular apses — the existing 
eastern end of the choir at Stia is square. The building 
in each case is vigorous and strong ; the design is simple, 
heavy and substantial in effect. There is no search after 
novelty ; it is not learned work, it is traditional design 
carried out by traditional method for traditional 
purpose. 

The water-power in the Staggia torrent has been used to 
drive a woollen factory, and on Sunday afternoons the 
main street of Stia is a scene of animation, crowded with 
workpeople from the mills and from the surrounding 



I 



GAVISERRI 211 

country. In the Municipio at Stia there is a piece of 
Delia Robbia ware. 

Gaviserri 

The road lies through Stia^ past the houses which mark 
the site of the castle of Urbecche^ and up the Staggia 
torrent to the small and lonely church of Gaviserri. In 
some places the road is steep and very narrow ; a light 
vehicle only should be used. The time required is about 
one hour from Pratovecchio. The torrent of the Staggia 
is exceedingly fine^ and the visitor will be well repaid if he 
pushes on up the valley far beyond the church. 

Within the church on the l. side is a well-preserved 
picture in the manner of Ghirlandajo^ Madonna and Child ; 
to the R.^ SS. Bartolommeo and Anthony the Abbot ; to the 
L., SS. Clement (?) and John the Baptist. 

The walk down from Gaviserri to Pratovecchio takes 
about one and a half hours. 

Casalino 

From Pratovecchio take the lane at the side of the 
Spigliantini hotel^ cross the railway and follow the road 
up the Valley of the Fiumicello torrent. Avoid the turn- 
ings to the L._, which lead to the hamlet of Vagliano. The 
approach to Casalino is exceedingly steep. In the church 
is a small polychrome glazed terra-cotta^ representing the 
Father Eternal ; and below^ the arms of Camaldoli. An 
inscription gives the name of the maker as Bartolommeo 
Benucci. On a side altar there is a figure of Christ_, in blue 
glazed ware. The views from the village are extensive. 
The path may be followed over the mountain to Camaldoli. 
An afternoon may well be set apart for this walk and the 
variations on it which will suggest themselves to the 
visitor. 

Ama 

Leave Pratovecchio by the road leading to the R. at the 
end of the paved street nearest to the station. One and a 



212 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

half hours' dimbing will bring the visitor to the hamlet 
of Ama and the little Church of S. Biagio. Within are two 
small tabernacles let into the wall to the R. and l. of the 
choir. 

The view from the little terrace in front of the church 
is extremely fine. The Valley of the Arno is far below ; 
Romena and Porciano stand out as landmarks above 
Pratovecchio and Stia. Lower down the valley Borgo 
alia Collina and Poppi may be seen^ and to the west the 
whole line of the Pratomagno. 

CORTONA 

Cortona stands on a hill commanding a superb view over 
the Valley of the Chiana. 

[The city is of remote origin^ probably pre-Etruscan. 
The circle of walls formed of huge stones^ laid with mar- 
vellous precision and without mortar^ is supposed to 
belong to that period. It was a place of importance in 
Etruscan times^ being one of the twelve cities of the Etrus- 
can Confederation. During the Roman period it played 
no important part^ and its record^ up to the beginning of 
the twelfth century, is almost a blank. 

The history of the commune begins in the thirteenth 
century. Before that date the inhabitants were ruled by 
the Bishops of Arezzo^ who claimed both temporal and 
spiritual jurisdiction^ including the right to appoint the 
podesta. The struggling commune contested these claims 
valiantly, while occupied at the same time in subduing 
the feudal lords of the neighbourhood. She sought help, 
by forming alliance with Perugia, and succeeded in pro- 
tecting her commerce and attaining considerable prosper- 
ity. The town was surrounded by new walls, a public 
palace was built, and a mint established. The strife 
between the commune and the Bishop of Arezzo continued 
into the fourteenth century. The first step towards settle- 
ment was made by the Emperor Henry VII., who oniiis 
visit to Cortona declared the temporal claims of the Bishop 



CORTONA 213 

to be null^ and appointed one of the Casali family^ citizens 
of Cortona^ to be his Imperial Vicar. A few years later^ in 
1325, under Pope John XXII. _, Cortona was made the seat 
of an independent bishop. By this time the CasaH family 
had become masters of the town, and had made an agree- 
ment with Florence, which left the citizens in peace. 

This state of things lasted until 1409, when the tyrannical 
conduct of Luigi Casali caused the citizens to enter into 
secret negotiations with King Ladislaus, who occupied 
the town, and three years afterwards, in 141 2, sold it to the 
Florentine Republic] 

The Museo 

In the Piazza Signorelli is the Palazzo Pretorio, once the 
house of the Casali princes of Cortona. The facade was 
rebuilt in the seventeenth century, and the building now 
contains the Museum of Etruscan Antiquities. In the 
entrance hall are a number of Etruscan urns, and Roman 
inscriptions. The urns have in most cases figures of the 
dead person on the lid, lying or sitting, as at Chiusi. 
The subjects of the reliefs are the usual scenes of tragic 
death and slaughter, such as the Theban brothers killing 
each other, the death of Achilles, combats, and scenes of 
farewell between the dead and their relatives. On the 
stairs is an old map. 

In • the library there is a collection of Etruscan and 
mediseval coins ; among the latter, note the seal of the 
commune, a winged lion. On the top of the central case 
are a number of small bronze figures found in the tombs 
of the neighbourhood. The chief treasure of the collection 
is a large bronze lamp covered with figures in high relief. 
The head of Medusa in the centre is surrounded by a 
circle of wild animals attacking one another ; then comes 
a row of seated figures, male and female, alternately ; 
between each of the burners on the upper side of the lamp 
is a horned satyr. 

Against the wall is a painted tile (probably Etruscan) 



214 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

representing the Muse Polyhymnia^ a charming figure 
holding a stringed instrument. In the case above are 
Etruscan terra-cotta pots and lamps. 

The Pinacoteca is housed in the same building. 

To the R. of the entrance^ a round picture by Francesco 
Signorelli, the son of Pietro. Madonna and Child^ with 
S. Michael^ who treads upon the devil^ and carries the scales. 
S. Mark protecting the town of Cortona^ S. Margaret and 
S. Vincenzo. 

A round picture of Madonna and Child^ attributed to 
PinturiccMo. S. Benedict^ by Pietro da Cortona. 

On the L. of the door^ an old mosaic of Madonna in the 
attitude of prayer from the Palazzo Comunale. 

The Duomo, built originally in the tenth century^ was 
almost entirely rebuilt in the fifteenth^ by Francesco 
Sangallo. The western fagade still shows traces of the low, 
round arches and the small^ narrow windows of the Roman- 
esque foundation. To the r. of the church is the Bishop's 
Palace. The Square Tower was built in 1556. 

The interior recalls the style of Santo Spirito in Florence. 
The chief interest of the church is the group of Signorelli 
pictures in the choir. 

[Luca Signorelli was born in Cortona about 1441. He 
was apprenticed to Piero della Francesca in Arezzo. It 
was not^ however, the influence of his master that made 
the greatest impression upon Luca. To the Florentines, 
Antonio Pollajuolo and Donatello, he owes the particular 
trend of his development. During the middle period of 
his life he was elected to the office of prior in Cortona, and 
he continued his duties as a magistrate until his death about 
1524. His principal work is the series of frescoes painted 
in the Cathedral of Orvieto.] 

In the choir, to the R., is the Immaculate Conception, 
painted for the Church of the Gesu. The Virgin stands on 
cherub heads, the Father Eternal bends over her, and 
angels scatter roses. Below are six prophets and doctors 
of the Church, probably chosen for some saying applicable 
to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Below the 



CORTONA 215 

clouds with cherub heads is the scene of the Fall of Adam 
and Eve. 

Under the east window is the Deposition^ painted in 
1502, a fine painting in a grand and dignified style. A 
group of sorrowing men and women are gathered round 
Madonna and Mary Magdalen^ who hold the dead body 
of Christ on their knees. In the background^ to the l._, 
the three crucified forms are raised against the sky ; a 
confused and turbulent crowd of men^ horses^ and waving 
banners is gathered below. On the rights Christ rises 
from the tomb. Signorelli has painted the large, strong 
women that for him most fitly expressed holy personages. 
There is no unseemly show of grief^ and there is much 
tenderness in the expression of the woman^ who embraces 
Christ's hand^ and of John^ who stands behind Him. On 
the right is a massive figure^ like an ancient Roman. 

To the L. of the choir is the Nativity^ an ineffective 
picture which is said to be mainly due to scholars. '^ The 
Institution of the Eucharist/' on the other hand^ is a fine 
work. Christ stands in the centre, and His head is framed 
by the arch of the doorway. The Apostles are grouped 
round about him^ those who receive the Eucharist kneel. 
On the right in the foreground Judas hides the wafer in a 
pouch. 

To the L. of the high altar is an ancient Roman sarco- 
phagus, with scenes of combat between Centaurs and 
Lapiths^ Amazons and men. Near by is a ciborium for the 
holy oil, a graceful piece of work, by Ciuccio di Messer 
NucciOj of 1491, wrongly attributed to Mino da Fiesole. 

Over the third altar to the R. in the nave is Madonna 
and Child, by the Sienese painter, Pietro Lorenzetti. The 
throne is supported by four angels in the manner of Duccio. 
The Mother and Child exchange looks of understanding 
tenderness. 

The Baptistery opposite the west front of the Duomo 
was formerly the Church of Gesu. On the wall over the 
side altar on the r. is the Annunciation, by Fra Angelico. 
The angel has descended into the loggia where the Virgin 



2i6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

sits reading. In the background on the l. is the Ex- 
pulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The prettiness 
of the figures^ the gay hghtness and brightness of the 
colours^ come as a starthng contrast after the sombre 
colours^ the grave^ muscular^ and virile forms of Signorelli. 

Farther^ on the wall^ are two predella pictures, also by 
Angelico. The first has five scenes from the life of Ma- 
donna : the Sposalizio^ Adoration of the Magi, Presenta- 
tion, Death, and Burial, with Christ receiving the soul. At 
each end are two smaller panels, with the Birth of the 
Virgin, and the Virgin appearing to a Dominican. 

On the opposite wall is a predella believed to have 
formed part of the altar-piece in S. Domenico; it has scenes 
from the life of S. Dominic. 

S. Francesco. This church was begun in 1245, under the 
direction of Frate Elias, at one time general of the Minor 
Brothers. It has the typical form of the oldest Franciscan 
churches. The fagade is without ornament, except for 
the small red marble mouldings surrounding the doorway. 

In the interior there is a picture by Luca Signorelli of 
the Nativity. The Child lies on a napkin with His head 
resting on a bundle of straw ; Mary, Joseph, and the kneel- 
ing shepherds form a reverent group round about. In the 
sky are a number of strong, large-winged angels. It is a 
more or less faithful study of peasant people, but at the 
same time the feeling that they are in the presence of a 
holy mystery is convincingly given. 

. In the chapel to the R. of the choir is a monument of 
1345, to Bishop Ranieri degli Ubertini. It is the work 
of the sculptors of Cortona, Angela, and Francesco di 
Maestro Pietro d'Assisi, who also made the tomb of 
S. Margherita in the church on the top of the hill. The 
design is simple and the sculptor has some of the fine 
qualities common in fourteenth-century work. 

S. Domenico, built in the fifteenth century, has several 
fine altar-pieces. 

In the centre, on the high altar, is an ancona, by Lorenzo 
di Niccolo, given to this church by Cosimo dei Medici in 



GORTON A 217 

1440. The central panel represents the Coronation of the 
Virgin ; in the side panels are groups of saints. Above^ in 
the pinnacles^ is the Trinity^ and the Annunciation. In 
the predella^ the Adoration of the Magi^ and stories from 
the life of S. Benedict. The figures are somewhat stiff and 
hieratic^ but the warm glowing colours and the gold 
background make this a striking and beautiful altar-piece. 
On the L. is a triptych by Sassetta : Madonna and Child^ 
with a bishop^ S. Michael^ SS. John the Baptist and Mar- 
garita. Madonna has something of the childish grace 
which Fra Filippo Lippi gave to his conceptions. Sassetta, 
a Sienese artist, died about 1450. 

On the L. is Madonna and Child, with SS. John the 
Evangelist and the Baptist, S. Mark and the Magdalen, 
by Fra Angelico, who lived in the Convent of S. Domenico 
for some time in his youth. These three decorative 
altar-pieces have a fine effect when seen from below the 
altar steps. 

To the L., on the side wall, is a large canvas of the 
Assumption of the Virgin, by the Florentine, Piero d 'An- 
tonio Dei, called Bartolommeo delta Gatta. The Apostles 
stand round the tomb, which is filled with roses and lilies. 
They are elderly men of peculiar type, with mean features. 
In the foreground are two kneeling donors turning their 
faces to the spectator. Madonna is seated on a throne 
surrounded by a host of quaintly costumed child-angels. 
Her eyes are downcast, and with her hands she makes a 
rhetorical gesture. Over the third altar to the right in the 
nave is a picture by Signorelli, painted in 1515, during his 
later years. Madonna in a red robe and green mantle has 
a solid, sensible-looking face, her hair is shaven off her 
forehead. The angels on either side are beautiful creations 
with waving golden-brown hair. Below stand SS. Peter 
Martyr and Domenic ; and in the corner the expressive 
head of Serninio, Bishop of Cortona, for whom the picture 
was painted. 

In the choir is a group of saints, Bernardino, Francis and 
Antonio, by a Sienese painter ; also a Madonna and Child, 



21 8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

with SS, Michael^ Bonaventura^ Antonio^ Louis of Tou- 
lousC; by Francesco J the son of Luca SignorelH. The pre- 
della has scenes from the hfe of S. Benedict. 

The fourth altar to the l. is pointed out as the place of 
S. Margherita's conversion. To the l. of the door is a 
small panel picture of the Deposition^ by a Floren- 
tine. 

In the Church of S. Chiara^ in the l. aisle^ there is a 
picture of the Sienese school. It represents the Resur- 
rection^ with four saints in the wings^ and the scenes of the 
Passion on the predella. In the same aisle is a large 
Nativity ascribed to Andrea delta Rohhia, 

S. Niccolo. From the little piazza in front of this 
chapel^ with its grass plot and cypress trees^ there is a 
magnificent view over the Val di Chiana. The foundation 
of the chapel is said to date from 1440^ when S. Bernardino 
of Siena came to initiate the Company of S. Niccolo. 

To the L. of the entrance is a large fresco by Luca 
SignorelH. Madonna and Child are represented as seated 
in a niche. 

Above an altar^ on the l.^ is a group of saints^ Paul and 
Christopher (in the foreground)^ John the Baptist and 
Sebastian ; on the R.^ SS. Nicholas^ Onofrio the hermit^ 
with SS. Catherine and Barbara behind. These figures 
are less interesting than usual in this master's work. The 
prettiness of S. Sebastian and the asceticism of the hermit 
are equally unconvincing. There is little fervour or 
saintliness among the group. 

Opposite is a banner painted by Luca SignorelH, with a 
Dead Christ upheld by angels^ on one side^, and Madonna 
and saints on the other. The picture on the front of the 
banner does not follow any of the traditional representa- 
tions of the Deposition. The dead body of Christ is 
supported by a powerful archangel^ with fair hair and 
mighty wings. He turns towards his fellows in attend- 
ance^ who are bearing the lance^ the cross and the nails. 
In the foreground are SS. Jerome and Francis ; and in the 
background^ S. Dominic and the Bishop Nicholas. On 




PJiofograpJi : Anderson 

TEMPTATIONS OF ANTICHRIST 

(By Luca Signorelli; in the Duomo Orvieto) 

Compare with the painting of Signorelli at S. Niccolo and elsewhere in 

Cortona 



CORTONA 219 

the reverse of the banner is a Madonna and Child between 
SS. Peter and Paul. 

To the R. of the church is a pretty little cloister. 

The Cliurch of S. Margherita. This church was raised 
in honour of Margherita di Laviano of Cortona in 1297. 
Margherita lived a life of great austerity^ in penitence for 
sins committed in her youth^ and was much beloved for 
her charitable deeds. The church is said to have been 
designed by Giovanni Pisano^ but has been restored and 
enlarged in a mixed and rather florid style. The rose 
window^s were added in the nineteenth century. The roof 
is groined and vaulted^ and there are statues against the 
nave pillars. The effect of the interior is spoiled by over- 
painting. 

The principal object of interest is the Tomb "^ of S. 
Margherita^ the work of Angela and Francesco di Maestro 
Pietro d^ Assist, in 1362. 

The saint lies stretched upon a couch^ a woman of middle 
agC; wath strongs regular features^ and so fine a profile that 
it recalls some of the fifth-century Greek statues. Angels 
draw back the curtains of the canopy which is framed under 
a pair of cusped arches. On the front and below the tomb 
are scenes from the life of the saint. In the first panel 
to the L. Margherita has her hair cut off and receives the 
Franciscan habit. In the second she has a vision of the 
Saviour. Devout women bring clothes for the saint ^ wiio 
stands outside of her cell^ clothed only in matting. The 
death of the saint ; her soul is carried up by angels. The 
two scenes under the tomb represent the sick^ blind^ and a 
possessed child all being brought to the grave of the saint. 
The statues of Madonna and the Angel Gabriel on the 
columns are graceful and pleasing ; the pose of the figures 
shows the influence of Giovanni Pisano. To the r. of 
the choir is a very poor figure of S. Margherita in glazed 
ware. 

In the sacristy is a picture of the Sienese school; Madonna 
and Child; with gold background and elaborately decorated 
nimbuses. 



Ill 

CENTRAL TUSCANY 

EMPOLI 

r'THHE town of Empoli is situated in Val d'Arno, 
|_ X twenty miles from Florence^ thirty from Pisa. It 
is a railway junction for Siena^ forty miles distant. It 
was one of the towns belonging to the Conti Guidi^ who 
caused it to be surrounded by walls in the twelfth century. 
After the power of the Guidi was reduced they sold their 
rights in Empoli to the Florentines^ who fortified the town. 
It was here that the heads of the Ghibelline party met after 
the battle of Monteaperto in 1260^ and proposed that 
Florence should be utterly destroyed and reduced to open 
villages. Upon this Farinata degli Uberti^ Ghibelline as he 
was^ declared that if there were none other than he^ whilst 
he had life in his body^ with sword in hand^ he would defend 
the city. 

The district of Empoli was known as the granary of 
Florence. In 1530^ when the Imperialists were advancing 
on the city, Empoli was stoutly defended ; when it fell 
the grain supply of Florence was cut off.] 

In the piazza is the CoUegiata ; in the interior opening 
out of the L. transept is a small gallery of pictures. 

On entering, turn to the l. 

Italo-Byzantine Madonna and Child, ascribed to Rico da 
C audi a. 

(i) Three predella pictures by Taddeo Gaddi: the Kiss 
of Judas, the Last Supper, the Pieta. (6) Fourteenth- 
century Florentine Crucifixion on a gold background. 
(11) Pieta, doubtfully attributed to one of the Lorenzetti, 

o 221 



222 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Over the end door^ Madonna and Child^ with SS. John 
Baptist^ Antonio Abbate and two others^ by Agnolo Gaddi 
or Lorenzo Monaco (?). 

(17) Rosello Franchi : Madonna and Child, with four 
saints ; fifteenth century. Madonna and Child ; follower 
of Agnolo Gaddi. Two saints ; follower of Agnolo Gaddi, 
(28) Madonna and Child, with four saints, attributed doubt- 
fully to Lorenzo Monaco. (32) Sienese Madonna and Child ; 
fifteenth century. (23) Four saints ; Florentine fifteenth 
century. (24) Madonna and Child, with saints and angels ; 
small panel doubtfully attributed to Masaccio. (54) (upper 
line) Father Eternal; glazed terra-cotta attributed to 
Andrea della Robbia. (50) Madonna and Child, relief 
by Mino da Fiesole. (60) SS. Maddalena, Francesco, 
Domenico, and Anselmo ; unglazed and coloured earthen- 
ware by Cieco da Gamhassi. (52) Marble relief ; Tuscan 
fifteenth century. (58) Madonna, with SS. Augustine and 
Anselm ; glazed terra-cotta, school of the Delia Robbia. 
At the end of the gallery. Madonna and Child ; unglazed 
terra-cotta. Border of fruit, etc., in glazed ware. 

(56) Bishop enthroned, with four saints ; school of the 
Della Robbia. (40) Madonna and Child ; Pisan school. 
(18) Madonna and Child; glazed terra-cotta. (55) Madonna 
and Child, with S. John and angels ; glazed terra-cotta. 
(25) Annunciation ; attributed to Filippino Lippi or 
Botticini. (29) (upper line) Madonna and Child ; attri- 
buted to Piero di Cosimo. (31) SS. Jerome and Sebastian ; 
attributed to Botticini. (32)Nativity; attributed to Lorenzo 
di Credi. {t,;^) Madonna and Child, with SS. Nicholas and 
Dominic ; Florentine fifteenth century. Room beyond. 
On the L. (41) Circumcision, by Jacopo da Empoli. 
(38) Madonna and Child, with saints, in the manner of 
Franciabigio. (27) Altar-piece, with SS. Andrew and John 
the Baptist. In the predella, Herod's Feast. The Last 
Supper. The Crucifixion ; attributed to Francesco and 
Raffaello Botticini. 

Over the altar, Magdalen of the ascetic type ; fourteenth 
century. 



S. MINIATO AL TEDESCO 223 

(26) Statue of S. Sebastian; attributed to Antonio 
Rossellino, The figure is set in an altar-piece with the 
Annunciation by F. Botticini, In the predella^ scenes of 
the Martyrdom. (39) Bishop^ in the manner of Andrea 
del Sarto. (42) Last Supper, by Ctgolt, 

In a case in the centre of the gallery, MS. concerning 
the foundation of the city in 11 19. 

Case B. Choral Book ; fifteenth century. 

Case D. Choral Book, Fra Benedetto ; fifteenth century. 

Case L. Ritual for Baptism by immersion ; twelfth 
century. 

The Baptistery opens out of the r. aisle of the Duomo. 
To the L. of the altar, a Pieta by Masolmo. In the centre 
is a large marble vase attributed to Donatello. 

S. Stefano. In the r. aisle, small fresco. Madonna and 
Child. In the oratory opening out of the R. aisle, sculp- 
tured group of the Annunciation. The figures of Madonna 
and the angel are worked in the round ; the style is quiet 
and reserved. Above, the Father Eternal appears. This 
part of the design is in high relief. The work is attributed 
to Bernardo Rossellino. 

S. Maria della Eipa (ten minutes from the western gate 
of the town). In the second chapel to the l.. Madonna and 
Child, with S. Francesco and another saint ; a coloured 
terra-cotta in high relief. At the entrance to the choir, 
figures in coloured terra-cotta ; to the l.. Madonna ; to the 
R., S. Sebastian. 

S. MINIATO AL TEDESCO 

[The station of S. Miniato al Tedesco is about six miles 
from Empoh, and twenty-four from Pisa; the town is 
some distance from the station and it stands high above 
the valley. 

In the ninth century a castello is mentioned as belonging 
to a Lucchese noble. In the tenth century the town was 
walled and surrounded by a moat. It is said that Otto I. 
established a judge here for the Germian nation, and this 



224 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

has been offered as an explanation of the name. It be- 
came the seat of the mihtary power of the Empire also ; 
an Imperial vicar of German nationaUty is mentioned in 
1 1 13. The Rocca was probably built under Frederick II. 
After 1284 the Imperial vicar seems to have disap- 
peared. A commune^ with podesta^ Captain of the People^ 
and council of twelve^ with Guelph politics and a tendency 
to the Florentine alliance^ appears at the end of the thir- 
teenth century. 

In one of the quarrels between the Florentine and Pisan 
factions ; a daughter of one of the noble families is said to 
have escaped to Milan ; she became the ancestress of S. 
Carlo Borromeo. The Church of S. Maria is first mentioned 
in 1 194 ; the Church of S. Francesco dates from 1211^ but 
was not finished until long afterwards.] 

Church of S. DomenicO;, with a picturesque cloister open 
to the street. To the r. of entrance door^ SS. Michele and 
Catherine. In the last chapel to the r.^ monument of a 
Giovanni Chelini (1461). Over the altar^ Madonna and 
Child; with SS. Cosimo and Damiano and two other saints. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir, altar-piece^ Madonna 
and Child; with SS. John the Baptist, James the Great, 
Sebastian and a bishop ; Florentine fifteenth century. 

Left wall of the chapel, fresco. Marriage of the Virgin ; 
beneath, the Nativity and Presentation. Right wall of 
the Chapel, fourteenth-century frescoes in the Florentine 
manner. Upper fresco destroyed. In the middle. Pre- 
sentation in the Temple ; in the lower fresco, the 
Annunciation. 

In the chapel to the l. of the choir, panel picture, 
SS. Jerome, James the Great, Antonio Abbate, Dominic 
and a martyr saint. 

In the L. aisle. Annunciation in Delia Robbia ware. 

Left of the entrance, fourteenth - century frescoes 
(damaged). Fifteenth-century Florentine panel. Sepul- 
chral slab. 

S. Francesco, a great, fine, barn-like church with a wooden 
roof. The choir and side chapels are vaulted. In the R. 



S. MINIATO AL TEDESCO 225 

aislC; Madonna and Child in coloured terra-cotta. In the 
L. aisle^ remains of a fresco of S. Christopher. In an old 
part of the buildings remains of a fresco in the Florentine 
manner, Christ with SS. Peter and Paul, saints and 
angels. 

Duomo, in the r. transept, Annunciation. The angel 
kneels before Madonna, with S. John and another saint. 
Opposite is a marble relief of the Annunciation, part of the 
old pulpit. It is dated 1274, and is the work of Giroldo di 
Jacopo of Como, who worked also at the cathedrals of 
Lucca and Massa Marittima. 

From the Duomo descend a flight of steps to the street, 
and the Palazzo Municipio opposite. In the entrance hall 
there are a number of coats-of-arms. Sala del Consiglio. 
The vaulted roof and the w^alls are covered with frescoes, 
including many coats-of-arms, recalling the fact that 
S. Miniato and its castle was the seat of the Imperial 
power in Tuscany ; a picturesque but somewhat heavily 
decorated hall. Under one of the arches there is a fresco 
of Madonna and Child enthroned, with four attendant 
angels personifying the four Cardinal Virtues. Three 
angels above stand for Faith, Hope and Charity. From 
the window at the end of the Sala del Consiglio there is 
a lovely view. Within the Municipio there is the Cappella 
Lorentino, with an elaborate gilt altar-piece of the six- 
teenth century. 

On the highest part of the ridge on which the town is 
built rises the Tower, seen from long distances in the Val 
d'Arno. The view is exceedingly fine. In the direction 
of Pisa lies Cigoli, and farther distant, Montopoli. To the 
north, in the Valley of the Arno, Fucchecio ; farther away, 
Montecatini; and turning back towards the Arno and east- 
ward lies Vinci ; in the valley, Empoli. Moving south- 
wards, Castel Nuovo and S. Gimignano ; and in the far 
distance Volterra and Monte Amiata may be seen in clear 
weather. To the west the Mediterranean is within view, 
with the tower of Marzocco at Leghorn. The Valley of the 
Arno is, however, the main attraction ; it is useless to try 



226 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

to give any impression of it — the visitor who stands at the 
foot of the tower on a fine day will never forget the ex- 
perience. 

S. GIMIGNANO 

The town stands on the side of the hill Cornocchio^ sur- 
rounded by fertile fields^ and conspicuous from afar by 
reason of its many mediaeval towers. It is easily reached 
from Poggibonsi station (seven and a half miles). The 
road crosses the torrent Foci^ and winds upwards through 
the rich fields of olive^ vine^ and wheats leaving a memor- 
able impression of beauty. 

[There appears to have been a church on the site of this 
town in the sixth century. It was dedicated in the name 
of S. Gimignano^ a Bishop of Modena^ who saved his city 
from destruction by the Huns. In the course of the 
seventh and eighth centuries a hamlet grew up round the 
churchy protected by w^alls and surrounded by woods. The 
town^ with the neighbouring territory^ was given to the 
Bishop of Volterra by the Marquis Ugo of Tuscany in 991^ 
but in the course of the twelfth century the inhabitants 
threw off the bonds of feudal ownership and established 
a self-governing commune. Their first task was to con- 
quer the neighbouring barons and small communes^, and as 
a result of their successes they were brought into conflict 
with the cities of Volterra and Florence. During the 
course of the thirteenth century^ however^ they succeeded 
in holding their own^ received podestas from Siena and 
Florence^ and made treaties with these and other cities to 
secure the safety of their trade routes. At first the 
government was solely in the hands of the " Grandi/' 
composed of the feudal lords who formed the body of 
fighting knights^ and of the wealthy merchant class en- 
gaged in the wool and silk trades. All had their fortified 
houses in the city^ and faction feuds between the rival 
families led to continual disturbances, settled by the rough 
and ready method of exiling the defeated party. About 
1250 the growing power of the trading class led to an 



S. GIMIGNANO 227 

extension of the number of citizens concerned in the 
government. A Captain of the People was elected in 
1267^ and during the middle years of the thirteenth 
century there was much activity within the town^ where 
hospitals^ fountains^ convents^ and fortifications wxre 
built ; while outside^ many small towns^ such as Monte 
Voltraio^ Montignoso^ Ulignano^ Gambassi^ and Poggi- 
bonsi^ were captured^ and in some cases destroyed. 

During the wars which followed (towards the close of the 
century) with Volterra and Florence, San Gimignano lost 
many of her possessions. After 1292 no Florentine 
podesta was received in the town, but none the less the 
relations between the two cities were strengthening. In 
1300 Dante came as an ambassador from Florence to 
persuade S. Gimignano to join the Tuscan league. After 
a period of repeated disturbances stirred up by the exiled 
family of Ardinghelli, followed by a severe outbreak of 
plague in 1348, the inhabitants in a state of discourage- 
ment made their first submission to Florence, who sent 
them a governor. A few years after, the Ardinghelli were 
accused by the rival faction of the Salvucci of conspiracy, 
and the leaders, two young men, Rossellino and Primerano, 
were beheaded at the foot of the Palazzo Pubblico stairs. 
The injustice of the sentence caused a riot in the town, 
and the houses of the Salvucci were burned. 

In 1353 S. Gimignano sent to the Florentine Republic 
a blank parchment stamped with the green seal of the 
commune, upon which the Signori should write the terms 
of submission. Florence returned the paper after writing 
two lines across it obliquely granting liberty to S. Gimig- 
nano to dictate her own terms. After these courtesies 
were over Florence set to work to build a fortress on the 
highest part of the town. The prosperity of the inhabit- 
ants rapidly declined, and many of the ruling families 
left for other cities, where the trades both of w^ar and of 
clothmaking might be pursued more successfully. 

Some citizens of S. Gimignano have become famous. 
Fina dei Ciardi, a girl saint who died in 1253, wrought 



228 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

many miracles for the benefit of her fellow-townsmen, and 
became one of the city's spiritual advocates. Bartolo 
Buonpedoni devoted himself to the care of lepers, and 
was beatified in 1498. From the Mainardi family came 
Domenico (1375-1422), a famous teacher of canon law; and 
the painter Sebastiano, a pupil of Ghirlandajo (d. 1515). 
Vincenzo Tamagni (d.. 1530), another painter, became a 
follower of Raphael and worked in the loggia of the 
Vatican.] 

In the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele are the principal public 
buildings, the Collegiata, the Palazzo del Comune (now 
the Museo Civico), and, facing the Collegiata, the ancient 
Palazzo del Podesta, with a broad, low archway like the 
entrance to a vault, and a Clock Tower. The fierce medi- 
aeval games or " battles " were held in this square until 
their suppression in the sixteenth century. It was 
the custom at wedding festivities to bar the entrance 
to the piazza with ropes of flowers, which the bride- 
groom had to break through, while pelted with flowers. 

The houses of the two most famous families of S. 
Gimignano, the Ardinghelli and the Salvucci, adjoined 
the piazza, but their identification is doubtful. 

The Palazzo del Comune stands on the l. side of the 
piazza, to the l. of the church. It was built by the com- 
mune in the thirteenth century, when increased prosperity 
made the trading citizens eager to have greater control in 
the magistracy, A Captain of the People was elected in 
1267, and the succeeding twenty years saw the govern- 
ment gradually pass into the hands of burgher citizens, 
sworn, like their neighbours of Siena, to the maintenance 
of the Pacific State. The palace, begun in 1288, is of 
three storeys, and has an outside staircase. We enter by a 
passage into a picturesque courtyard. 

The building has kept much of its old-world character : 
it is one of the best examples of a mediaeval public 
palace. 

Mount the stairs and enter, on the L., the Sala del Con- 
siglio, the hall where the Council of the People met. On 



S. GIMIGNANO 229 

the wall opposite to the windows is the great Maestas, 
painted in 131 7 by Lippo Memmt. The arrangement of 
Madonna and Child^ surrounded by a court of the saintly 
patrons of the city^ is the same as that of Simone Martini's 
fresco in the Public Palace of Siena. Lippo's work, how- 
ever, lacks both the harmonious beauty and the pas- 
sionate ardour of his brother-in-law's masterpiece. This 
fresco was restored by Benozzo Gozzoli. 

The saints in the front row, beginning on the L., are : 
S. Anthony the Abbot, Sta. Fina, with flowers, a young 
saint upholding the baldacchino, S. Paul, S. John, S. 
Gimignano, a bishop, S. Agatha. On the R. side of the 
throne : S. Agnes, John the Baptist, S. Peter, a young 
saint, a monk, and S. Louis of France. Kneeling at the 
feet of the Virgin is the podesta, Messer Nello dei Tolomei 
of Siena (v/hose arms are painted on the baldacchino, 
with those of the commune). S. Nicholas, the patron of the 
podesta, stands beside him, holding a scroll, in which he 
commends his devout servant to the Queen of the World, 
the Mother of God. Great pains have been taken in 
rendering the material of the draperies. The aureoles are 
elaborately ornamented ; everything is gaily and daintily 
painted ; but the principal figures. Madonna and the Child, 
do not win our hearts. There is a lack of vitality and of 
individuality. 

On the walls are fragmicnts of frescoes, dating from 1292, 
recording such facts as the submission of the lords of 
Castelli and the great hunting parties given in honour of 
the commune. 

On the wall facing the door is an archbishop of the 
Ardinghelli family pronouncing a settlement of the dispute, 
in 1290, between the commune and the clergy on the 
subject of tithe. The clergy had withdrawn from the 
city, carrying pictures and altar decorations with them. 
Judgment was given in favour of the commune, and the 
picture records the victory. 

It was in this hall that Dante spoke before the priors, 
when he w^as sent as ambassador from Florence in 



230 . THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

1300^ to persuade S. Gimignano to join the Tuscan 
League. 

A door under Memmi's fresco leads into the Hall of 
Secret Council^ where the priors met for deliberation. 
Above the benches are inscribed the words^ ^' Animus in 
consulendo liber." The revolving ballot box from which 
the names of the priors were drawn is kept here ; also a 
terra-cotta bust of S. Bartolo^ the Job of Tuscany and the 
friend of lepers. Above the doors are the communal 
arms : a shield^ half red and half blacky the arms of the 
Popolo ; a shield, half yellow and half red, those of the 
Church ; a white lion rampant with the lilies on a shield, 
the arms granted by Charles of Anjou. 

A small room leading off this chamber has pictures of the 
destruction of the tower in 1650, and its restoration under 
the protection of Sta. Fina ; also a genealogical tree of the 
principal families of the city. In a cupboard are the black 
and red robes, and the high round hats worn by the coun- 
sellors. 

Mount the stairs to the third floor for the Picture 
Gallery. 

The great room, with its green walls, brick floor, and 
raftered ceiling, makes a picturesque setting for the de- 
coratively framed panels. 

(i) Crucifix of the thirteenth century. (4) A triptych, 
with Madonna and saints, l., Christopher and Nicholas ; 
R., John the Baptist and S. Gimignano. 

(31) A fragment of a fresco from S. Agostino. 

(9) Taddeo Bartolo. S. Gimignano seated on the 
Bishop's chair, with " La Terra " (the old name for the 
town) at his feet. At the sides, scenes from the life of the 
saint. This panel was originally above the high altar in 
the Collegiata. 

(7) Lorenzo Niccolo di Pietro Gerini, dated 1401. S. 
Bartholomew enthroned. On the r., the birth and con- 
demnation of the saint ; on the l., his sufferings and 
martyrdom. In the frame are several of the patrons of the 
city, S. Gimiignano, Sta. Fina, S. Nicholas, and S. Bartolo. 



S. GIMIGNANO 231 

(5) Madonna and SS. John the Baptist^ Gregory^ Fina, 
and Francis. 

(18 and 19) Round pictures on the end wall^ of the 
Annunciation, of the school of Filippino Ltppt, 

(20) The Assumption of the Virgin, with SS. Bernard 
and Gregory kneehng below. A characteristic Umbrian 
picture attributed to Pinturicchio. 

{2:^) Madonna and Child, by Guido da Siena, much 
restored. On a screen is a little picture of S. Gregory and 
Sta. Fina. 

In a small room leading out of the gallery there is a 
collection of majolica from the Hospital of Sta. Fina. 

Farther on, another room contains an unimportant col- 
lection of Etruscan urns, vases, etc., found in the district. 

On the landing opposite is the Camera del Podesta, with 
a collection of glass, old chests, vases, etc. There are 
several fragments of fresco on the walls, by Piero Fran- 
cesco Fiorentino, 

Descending the covered stair to the courtyard, on the 
ground floor, we enter a room, once the prison chapel. 
On the wall to the l. is a fresco of the Sienese school 
attributed to Taddeo Bartolo, 

The Virgin robed in white is seated, with the Child 
standing on her knee. To the l., S. Gimignano holding 
the city, and to the r., S. Nicholas. 

On the wall opposite the door are some frescoes in 
chiaroscuro assigned to Bazzi, In the larger picture, 
S. Ivo renders justice. The coat-of-arms in front is that of 
the Machiavelli family, one of whose members was podesta 
in S. Gimignano in 1507. The smaller fresco represents 
the saint distributing alms. At the foot of the stairs is an 
allegorical picture of a magistrate seated between Truth 
and Prudence and treading Falsehood under his feet. 

The Tower of the Palazzo Pubblico was begun in 1298. 
It is the highest of all the towers, and was raised by the 
Council of the People for their own bell. The bells date 
from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. 

Opposite the Collegiata is the Old Palace of the Podesta, 



232 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

with a loggia^ now used as a theatre. It was built in the 
middle of the thirteenth century as a residence for the 
podesta^ but after the subjection of S. Gimignano by 
Florence it was transformed into an albergo for the recep- 
tion of strangers. In the loggia are the remains of a 
fresco by Bazzi of the Virgin^ with SS. Gimignano, Louis, 
and Christopher. 

The Tower, called '^ La Rognosa/' had placed in it, in 
1407, a clock which struck the hours publicly for the first 
time in S. Gimignano. 

La Collegiata stands on the west side of the piazza, 
and is reached by a fine flight of steps. The church was 
built in the thirteenth century ; the walls w^ere raised and 
the nave vaulted in the fourteenth ; six chapels were 
added, a new sacristy built and the choir enlarged in the 
fifteenth century, by Giuliano di Nardo da Majano (a 
brother of Benedetto). 

The interior. The arcades of the nave are supported by 
massive pillars, with capitals carved in the bold and simple 
style of the Romanesque period. 

The walls are covered with frescoes according to the 
usual fashion of the fourteenth century. On the north 
wall, scenes from the Old Testament. On the south wall, 
scenes from the New. Begin with the N. Wall, on the 
L., nearest to the entrance. This series was painted by 
Bartolo di Maestro Fredi of Siena about the year 1356. 

The lunettes, (i) God creates the heavens and the 
earth. The earth is in the centre of the nine heavens. 
In the eighth heaven, where are the zodiacal signs, the sun 
is placed between Aries and Pisces, the Creation having 
taken place, according to mediaeval theology, at the spring 
equinox. (Compa.re Dante, Paradise, 1. 1. 40). 

(2) God creates Adam, who receives the living spirit 
from three rays of light passing from Christ's mouth. 

(3) Adam receives dominion over all creatures in the 
earthly paradise. 

(4) God makes Eve. 

(5) They are commanded not to eat of the tree. 



5. GIMIGNANO 233 

Second range (begin at the west end). 

(1) Adam and Eve driven out of the garden. 

(2) The sacrifices of Cain and Abel ; the death of Abel ; 
Cain driven out. 

(3) The building of the Ark. 

(4) How Noah placed the animals in the ark. 

(5) How Noah came out of the ark^ and offered sacrifice. 

(6) How Noah made wine. 

(7) Abraham and Lot divide the land of Chaldea. 

(8) Abraham and Lot part from one another. 

(9) Joseph dreams of the sheaves that bow down to his 
sheaf. 

(10) How Joseph's brothers put him in a well. The well- 
head is of the type common in Tuscany in the fourteenth 
century. 

Third series (begin nearest to the entrance). 

(i) How Joseph caused his brothers to be arrested. 

(2) Joseph is recognised by his brothers. 

(3) How Moses changed his rod into a serpent. 

(4) The crossing of the Red Sea. The women^ 
dressed in mediseval hats and cloaks ^ are mounted upon 
camels. 

(5) How Moses went up to Sinai and left Aaron^ as his 
vicar. 

The next five scenes give the history of Job; whose 
intercession was much invoked in time of pestilence. 

(i) Job and his wife, wearing crowns^ sit at table. A 
man distributes alms at the door. Above^ in an aureole^ 
God speaks to Satan. 

(2) How Satan caused the destruction of Job's flocks 
and herds. 

(3) How Satan caused the destruction of Job's sons and 
daughters. The walls of the house are smitten^ not ** by 
a great wind " but by soldiers. 

(4) How Job continued to praise God. 

(5) (under the organ) Job is comforted by his friends. 
On the opposite wall are scenes from the New Testament^ 

by Barna, a Sienese painter^ who was killed by falling from 



234 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the scaffold; leaving the frescoes unfinished ^ in 1380. The 
work was completed by Giovanni d'Asciano, 

Lunettes, (i) The Annunciation. The angel has so:r.e- 
thing of the gay freshness of a thirteenth-century French 
miniature. 

(2) The Nativity. Mary stretches out her arms, pre- 
senting the Child to the shepherds, who stand at the door 
of the hut. The ox and ass kneel reverently, with their 
eyes fixed upon the Babe. 

(3) Adoration of the Magi. Like the angel in the 
Annunciation, the three kings have the gaiety and the 
precision and daintiness of dress that we find in French 
miniatures. 

(4) The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Simeon 
takes the Child from his mother, and behind Sim.eon is 
Anna the prophetess. Simeon is the Jewish rabbi, but, 
compared with the grey-headed doctors in the scene of 
Christ among the Doctors, Simeon's face is inspired with a 
new fervour. 

(5) Massacre of the Innocents, and 

(6) The Flight into Egypt, much damaged. 

Second range (beginning to the right of the Crucifixion). 

(i) Christ among the Doctors, hard-featured men, 
sticklers for the law and the prophets. Note the Sienese 
love of decorative aureoles, and of patterned mosaic 
pavement. 

(2) The Baptism of Christ. The angels, who float over a 
great flood of waters, reach a higher type of beauty than 
most of the figures in these frescoes. John's attitude and 
expression is full of spiritual energy. 

(3) The Calling of Peter and Andrew. A simple and 
striking composition. 

(4) The Supper at Cana. 

(5) The Transfiguration. A solemn and well-conceived 
design. 

(6) The Raising of Lazarus. 

(7) The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. 
Third range (beginning at the west end). 



5. GIMIGNANO 235 

(i) The Last Supper. Here the artist has followed the 
traditional arrangements. John and Peter on Christ's 
left and right, with Judas on the opposite side of the table. 

(2) Judas receives the Thirty Pieces of Silver. 

(3) The Agony in the Garden. 

(4) The Betrayal. A great crowd of helmetted soldiers 
surround the principal figures. Judas folds Christ in his 
arms. Peter with brutal violence strikes at the soldier, 
who sprawls awkwardly on the ground. 

(5) Christ before Caiaphas. The high priest has just 
rent his clothes, with the words, ^' He has spoken blas- 
phemy." The face of Christ is not of a fine type, but the 
attitude and expression are full of dignity. 

(6) The Flagellation. 

(7) The Mocking. 

(8) The Bearing of the Cross. Note the characteristic 
hill city with its walls, tower, and church. 

(9) The Crucifixion. A striking composition. The air 
is filled with wailing angels. Some receive the soul of the 
penitent thief; black devils wait on the cross of the impeni- 
tent. Longinus, an old man, with a serious face, and 
mounted on a white horse, pierces Christ's side. In the 
foreground are three groups : the grief -stricken followers, 
the soldiers casting lots, and the Roman officers. 

Other frescoes beyond have been destroyed by the 
singing gallery. 

Two painted wooden statues forming the Annunciation 
are perhaps the work of the Sienese Martino di Barto- 
lommeo of the fifteenth century. 

On the west wall of the church is a great fresco of the 
Last Judgment, which is the completion of the frescoes on 
the side walls. This was painted by Taddeo di Bartolo 
of Siena in 1393. At the top, Christ sits in Judgment, with 
Mary, and John the Baptist, kneeling, perhaps as inter- 
cessors for the human race. A little lower are Enoch and 
Elias, as assessors. The Twelve Apostles form a court 
below the window. On the south side is Paradise, with 
Christ and Mary seated in an aureole surrounded by the 



236 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

choirs of angels and the blessed. On the north side is an 
unusually horrible picture of Hell. 

Below the Last Judgment is a fresco of the Martyrdom 
of S. Sebastian^ painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, in 1465. An 
altar dedicated to SS. Sebastian and Fabian had already 
been erected here^ after the great pestilence of 1348. In 
1464^ when plague again visited the city, the commune 
renewed their vows to S. Sebastian and caused this fresco 
to be painted. On the pilaster, to the l., are the Madonna, 
with SS. Augustine and Bernard ; on that to the R., SS. 
Anthony the Abbot, Jerome, and Bernardino of Siena. 

At the eastern end of the S. aisle is the Chapel of Sta. 
Fina,* S. Gimignano's famous girl saint, who died in 1253. 
Fina dei Ciardi was the daughter of poor people in the 
town, and by the austerity of her penitence and the fervour 
of her piety she excited much enthusiasm in her short life 
of fifteen years. After her death stupendous miracles of 
healing were worked by her intercession, and she was 
chosen by her fellow-townsmen as their advocate. In 
1255 ^ hospital for the sick, the poor, and pilgrims was 
founded, from the offerings made at her tomb. 

The chapel was begun in 1468 from the designs of 
GiuUano da Majano of Florence. It has many points of 
likeness with the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal at 
S. Miniato, built twelve years before. Over the principal 
arch are the arms of the commune. 

The walls are covered with frescoes by Domenico Ghir- 
landajo of Florence, and Sehastiano Mainardi of S. Gimig- 
nano, his pupil. 

(i) {on the right) Sta. Fina, lying on her plank bed, sees 
S. Gregory in a vision, who announces her approaching 
death. The furnishings of the bare room and the view 
from the window are rendered with meticulous care. 
The two attendant women have the shrewd simple faces 
which Ghirlandajo knew how to paint. There is no hint 
of the voluntary squalor of the saint's deathbed, but the 
devotion of the nurse Beldia, who supported the saint's 
head until her own arm became diseased, is faithfully 



S. GIMIGNANO 237 

recorded. Above we see the soul of Sta. Fina carried to 
heaven by angels. 

On the left is the funeral; and the miracles at the bier. 
The nurse's arm was healed by laying the girl's dead hand 
upon it ; a young priest was cured of blindness by touch- 
ing the dead feet ; the bells in the towers began to ring, 
although no man had touched them. On the l. we see an 
angel ringing the bell in the tall tower of the commune. 
These incidents are made part of a monumental composi- 
tion. In the background is a great Renaissance hemi- 
cycle, as it might be the apse of a church ; in the fore- 
ground the simple figure of the saint. But Ghirlandajo 
has not been able to represent a crowd deeply moved by 
the presence of a spiritual mystery. Many of the hand- 
some boys are quite uninterested spectators, and the 
gestures of those who perceive the miracles are uncon- 
vincing. 

Behind the altar is the marble tomb of Sta. Fina, made 
by Beitedetto da Majano in 1468. Three of the reliefs 
represent the saint on her deathbed, her funeral obsequies, 
and the saint appearing to a dead person. Above is a 
relief of Madonna and Child, with flying angels on a blue 
background with gilt stars. The gracious figures and 
fluttering angels are carved in delicate relief, and the out- 
lines are touched with gilding. To Mainardi are assigned 
the Four Evangelists on the vault, the six bishops above 
the cornice and the six prophets in the angles. 

The Choir. Behind the altar. Madonna and saints, 
by Benozzo Gozzoli, dated 1466. On the R. are Mary 
Magdalen and John the Baptist ; on the l., Martha and 
S. Augustine. 

Opposite is the Coronation of the Virgin, by Pietro 
Pollaiuolo, dated 1483. The group of saints kneeling 
in adoration include three of the patrons of the city : 
S. Gimignano, S. Bartolo, and Sta. Fina. The other saints 
are Augustine, Jerome, and Nicholas of Tolentino. The 
forms are long and stiff ; the features hard, as though 
struck out with a chisel. The powerfully expressive head 

R 



238 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of S. Bartolo must have been inspired by sympathetic 
appreciation for this local saint. Bartolo was of a noble 
family^ the Buonpedoni^ Counts of Mucchio. In child- 
hood he was named " the Angel of Peace/' and in old age^ 
" the Job of Tuscany." He devoted himself to the care 
of the lepers at CellolC; and died of the disease himself in 

1299- 

On the L. is a picture of Madonna and Child, with saints, 
by the San Gimignese artist, Vincenzo Tamagnt, a follower 
of Raphael. The saints are : to the r., S. Augustine, the 
Archangel Michael and S. Nicholas of Tolentino, in black, 
kneeling ; to the l., Sta. Monaca and Sta. Lucia. 

In the sacristy there is a marble ciborium by Benedetto 
da Majano. Over the door is a picture by Mainardi, 
Madonna and Child in an aureole, with SS. Nicholas of 
Tolentino, Gimignano, and Mary Magdalen on the l. ; 
and SS. John the Baptist^ Fina, and another on the R. 

A portrait bust of Onofrio di Pietro Vanni, by Benedetto 
da Majano, is noteworthy. Onofrio, rector of the Hospital 
of Sta. Fina, was known as " the father of the poor " ; he 
died in 1488. 

Out of the north aisle opens the Oratory of S. Giovanni, 
with the inscription over the door, " Per mi si quis intra- 
verit salvabitur." At the end is the Annunciation, by 
Dom Ghirlandajo, a spacious, simple, and pleasant picture. 

The old font, with the inscription and date 1379, was 
made by the Sienese, Giovanni Cecchi, at the expense of the 
Arte della Lana. The reliefs represent the Baptism, an 
Agnus Dei, and angels. 

La Fortezza, or La Rocca. The ruins of the great 
fortress built by the Florentines after 1353, when San 
Gimignano had made submission to them, are reached 
by a steep lane to the r. of the Collegiata. 

Ascend the lane until an iron-covered door is reached. 
Knock for admittance. Within the walls of the Florentine 
castle there is now a garden with olive, fig and cherry 
trees. In the centre is an old well, and at one corner a 



S. GIMIGNANO 239 

stairway leads to a platform. From here we have an 
extensive view of the Val d'Elsa. The river Elsa flows 
through an midulating country surrounded by ranges of 
well-defined hills. To the north lie the hills beyond Pisa^ 
and even in early summer snow may be seen on the highest 
ridges. To the east lie the Chianti hills ; to the south the 
ranges that separate us from Siena. 

From the Rocca we see the eight towers now standing. 
These towers were mostly built in the thirteenth century^ 
in the time of political freedom and of the greatest pro- 
sperity of the citizens. They were towers for defence. 
When all were standing the town must have been a series 
of narrow passages between fortress-like blocks of building. 
The height of the towers was limited by law. None must 
be higher than that of the podesta. 

On the way down from the Rocca is the Piazza Pecori^ 
with a small but most picturesque building with heavy 
stone arches over the doors and two-light marble-shafted 
windows. 

The Library (Biblioteca Comunale) is at No. 20 Via 
S. Matteo. The foundation of the library was a collection 
of books made by Abbot Onoforio^ offered to the commune 
in 1441. Large additions were made by members of the 
Lupi and Nerucci families. 

On the ground floor are geological and natural history 
collections. 

On the upper floor is a sm^all museum of Dante memorials. 

The librarian will take visitors to the Palazzo Pratel- 
lesi^ No. 14 Via S. Giovanni^ formerly a convent of Bene- 
dictine monkS; where there is a fine spacious fresco^ by 
Tamagni, of Madonna and Child; with SS. Catherine and 
Nicholas. In front kneel SS. Jerome and Benedict. 

Passing down the Via S. Matteo from the corner of the 
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele we come to the remains of a 
large Palace^ with twin grey tow^ers^ said to have been 
those of the Salvucci. 

Pass under a heavy double arch^ which was the boundary 
wall of the city in early times. Farther on we come to a 



240 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

great palace of five storeys^ with ornamental corbelling, 
and two-light windows embraced by a shallow round arch. 
This is the palace of the Pesciolini family. Its builders 
seem to have aimed at a combination of tower and palace 
in one. 

The Piazza Cavour opens from the Piazza Vittorio 
Emanuele. Surrounded by old towers and houses^ and 
with an old well of 1273 i^ ^^le centre, this square is 
another picturesque centre of the ancient life. 

The two dismantled towers on the R. are said to be 
those of the Ardinghelli. Opposite is a tall, grey tower 
tufted with weeds and wallflower, the Torre Civatti. At 
the corner is a picturesque massive archway across the 
street, and through it there is a delightful glimpse of the 
country beyond, one of the great charms of hill towns. 

On the L. is a pretty palace in the pointed style, with 
graceful two-light windows and ornamental brickwork. 
It is followed by a square base of a shortened tower. 

In the L. corner of the piazza is the great Torre Pratel- 
lesi, originally the tower of the Pesciolini, one of the 
richest merchant families of La Terra. 

S. Agostino. This church, belonging to the suppressed 
convent of Augustinian monks, was built in 1280. It is 
reached from the Via Cellole, and is close to the Porta 
Matteo. 

The church contains famous frescoes of the life of 
S. Augustine by Benozzo Gozzoli, 

Enter by the side door and turn to the l. On the wall is 
a Madonna and Child and a group of saints, with their 
names inscribed in their aureoles, painted by Piero Fran- 
cesco Fiorentino. In the foreground is the kneeling donor 
in the Dominican habit. On the west wall is the Tomb 
of S. Bartolo, by Benedetto da Ma/an^, dated 1494, a beauti- 
ful piece of workmanship in white and gold. In the tondo 
is Madonna and Child, with angels. In the predella are 
scenes from the life of the saint. He washes the feet of a 
leper; his death; he exorcises a devil. Great devotion 
was felt for this saint, " the Job of Tuscany/' and many 



S. GIMIGNANO 241 

persons were cured of disease at his tomb. Note the 
quiet and gentle expression of Madonna characteristic 
of this period ; also the swinging grace of the angels^ and 
the delicate Renaissance detail of the pilasters. 

In the first bay of the left aisle is a Crucifixion by 
Tamagni, which has something of Umbrian spaciousness 
in the river landscape and the vision of the city beyond. 
At the foot of the cross are Mary Magdalen^ John^ and 
Sta. Chiara of Montefalco. 

Near this is an interesting mediaeval plague picture 
by Benozzo Gozzoli, S. Sebastian protects the people of 
S. Gimignano against the plague in 1464. Above^ God 
surrounded by angels^ named " Potestates/' prepares to 
send down on the people the arrovv's of the plague. Christ 
and the Virgin kneel in intercession, and angels described 
as the hierarchy of '' Virtutes " break the darts. Over 
the next altar is a repainted fresco by Lippo Memmi. 

To the L. of the choir steps is a fresco by Mainardi, 
representing San Gimignatio, the bishop^ blessing three 
illustrious citizens : Lupi, the poet (i 380-1468), Domenico 
Mainardi, the canonist, Nello Nelli dei Cetti, the juris- 
consul. 

Below is the tomb of Domenico Strambi, a doctor of 
Paris. 

In the Chapel to the l. of the choir is the Nativity of the 
Virgin, by Tamagni, a good example of this master's work. 
The donor, a woman kneeling in the doorway, receives 
the Virgin's blessing. The great festival observed in 
S. Gimignano was the Nativity of the Virgin, but there are 
no unusual number of pictures of this subject in the town. 

In the Choir are seventeen scenes illustrating the life 
of S. Augustine^ by Benozzo Gozzoli, The first thirteen 
scenes are based upon the '' Confessions." 

Begin wath the lowest panel on the l., nearest to the 
entrance. 

(i) S. Augustine is taken to school by his parents, his 
mother a Christian, and his father a Pagan. '^ I was put 
to school to get learning in which I, poor wretch, knew 



242 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

not what use there was; yet if idle in learning I was 
beaten." 

(2) He goes to the University of Carthage^ where ^^ I 
became chief in the rhetoric school^ whereat I joyed 
greatly." The study of Cicero inflamed Augustine with 
the love of wisdom ; and when he turned to the Scriptures 
they seemed unworthy to be compared with the stateli- 
ness of Tully. 

(3) Window Wall. Monica^ Augustine's mother^ prayed 
for the conversion of her son. One day she was comforted 
by a shining youth^ who assured her that her son " would 
be where she was." 

(4) Augustine^ having come to see the errors of the 
Manicheans^ was eager to leave Carthage^ and went to 
teach rhetoric in Rome. His voyage by sea. 

(5) His arrival in Italy. 

(6) Right Wall. Augustine in his classroom. Accord- 
ing to his own account he was defrauded by his scholars 
in Rome^ and applied for the post of rhetoric reader in 
Milan. 

(7) He sets out on horseback for Milan. The scroll 
upheld by two angels tells that these frescoes were painted 
at the expense of Fra Domenico Strambi^ whose tomb is 
in the nave. 

(8) Augustine arrives in Milan. Meets Ambrose the 
Bishop. '' To him^ I^ unknowing, was led that by him 
knowingly I might be led to God." He is received by the 
Emperor Theodosius. 

(9) He listens to the preaching of S. Ambrose. Monica 
begs S. Ambrose to convert her son. A conference between 
Augustine and Ambrose. 

(10) Window Wall. While great contention was going 
on in his soul, Augustine retired into the garden. Here 
he heard a voice from a neighbouring house say, '' Take 
up and read." Taking this for a command from God, 
he took up the gospels, and found enlightenment in the 
Epistle to the Romans. 

(11) Having determined to devote his life to God, he 



S, GIMIGNANO 243 

gave up his profession^ retired into the country^ and 
received baptism from S. Ambrose. 

(12) He sets out to visit the hermits of Monte Pisano. 
He explains the rule to his brothers. While walking on the 
seashore and meditating upon the Trinity^ he saw a child 
pouring water out of a shell into a hole in the sand . When 
questioned, the child said that he was going to empty the 
sea into the hole ; and in this answer Augustine saw a 
rebuke against the vain effort of human reason to compre- 
hend a divine mystery. 

(13) He sets out to return to Africa. His mother dies 
on the way, at Ostia. 

(14) Lunette, St Augustine as Bishop of Hippo blesses 
the people. 

(15) He confutes Fortunatus the Manichean. 

(16) He sees S. Jerome in heaven. 

(17) Lunette. He dies, and his soul is carried to heaven 
by angels. 

Benozzo has the story-telling faculty, and he sets out 
the incidents plainly in a matter-of-fact fashion. The 
painting is hard, and without atmosphere. The artist 
appears to have had little insight into the character of the 
great man he tries to represent ; he succeeds best with the 
trivial accessories, the children, the animals, the onlookers, 
and details of the furniture of the room. 

In the vaulted roof are the Four Evangelists ; on the 
pilasters, six saints ; left, Bartolo, Gimignano, and the 
Baptist ; right, Nicholas of Tolentino, Nicholas of Bari, 
and Elias. 

On the entrance arch are Christ and his Twelve Apostles. 

In the Chapel to the right of the choir are remains of 
frescoes by Bartolo di Fredt of Siena. Left wall, the 
Nativity and the Death of the Virgin. In spite of the 
damage which the frescoes have suffered, the colours are 
still delicate and beautiful. Passing down the south 
aisle we come to the Chapel of S. Nicholas, with a repre- 
sentation of Madonna and Child, SS. Nicholas and Rocco. 
Farther on is a ruined fresco of the Crucifixion, and close 



244 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

to the entrance^ beside the font, is a Pieta, with emblems 
of the Passion, of the fourteenth century. 

Cappella di San Jacopo. This church is close to the 
Porta S. Jacopo. It is a fine little Romanesque building, 
in the style of the twelfth century. It belonged to the 
Order of the Knights of Jerusalem, which included many 
members of the noble families of S. Gimignano, and on the 
lintel is carved the cross of the order. There is a fine 
rose window in terra-cotta, and coloured plates are inserted 
as ornaments on the frieze. 

The interior, a nave without aisles, has great pilasters 
against the walls, and is lighted by long, narrow windows. 
The capitals are carved in the Romanesque style. Notice 
the three-cornered interlaced ornament known as Solo- 
mon's Knot. 

Over the altar is Madonna* and Child, with SS. James 
and John. Below are damaged frescoes of the fourteenth 
century representing the Crucifixion and Deposition. 

This church was ceded by the Knights of Jerusalem to 
the nuns of S. Girolamo in the seventeenth century, and 
they built a covered way to the church from the convent 
on the opposite side of the street. 

Passing through the archway under the covered passage 
we reach the outside of the walls, and gain a magnificent 
view over the Val d'Elsa. 

Turn sharply to the r. and descend the grassy slopes 
to the Porta della Fonte with a marble statue of S. Gimig- 
nano set up in thanksgiving for the defeat of the exiles, 
the fuorusciti, who, led by the Ardinghelli, tried to get 
possession of the town in 1342. This statue was held in 
great honour by the city, and a little church was built 
close by, from the offerings. 

Santa Chiara. This church, of modern construction, in 
the Via Venti Settembre, has a picture over the high 
altar, by Matteo Rosselli, Christ in triumph, supported by 
Mary and John. Over the altar to the left. Madonna, 
and SS. Bartolo and Sebastian, attributed to Tamagni, 
' S. Bartolo. This church, in the Via S. Matteo, is a 



S. GIMIGNANO 245 

Romanesque building of the twelfth century (11 73), with 
a picturesque arcaded fa9ade. Like S. Jacopo^ this was 
one of the Knights Templar churches. 

S. Pietro^ in the Piazza S. Agostino. Over the altar, on 
the right, is a picture of the school of Lippo Memimi, 
Madonna and Child, who has one hand clasped in His 
mother's, with S. Paul and the Baptist. To the l. of the 
high altar is a cross, without the Crucified, but with 
Mary and John, painted in the Sienese manner. 

There are tw^o or three churches to be visited close to 
S. Gimignano, giving the visitor an opportunity of delight- 
ful walks along roads skirted by olive gardens and barley- 
fields, with wide views over the country. 

The Churcli of Monte Oliveto. Leaving the Porta 
S. Giovanni, an easy walk of about twenty minutes brings 
us to Monte Oliveto, which stands upon a little incline. 
In the cloister to the l. of the entrance is a Crucifixion, 
with Mary, John, and S. Jerome kneeling at the foot of the 
cross. It is attributed to Benozzo Gozzoli, and is at least 
of his school. 

In the interior, in the Chapel of S. Francesco, is a picture 
of Madonna and Child, with SS. Jerome and Bernard. In 
the gradino is the Birth of the Virgin, and the arms of the 
Mainardi family. It is the work of a follower of the 
Umbrian tradition. 

In another side chapel are two fifteenth-century panels. 
In the sacristy is a fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin. 

This convent was founded by the Salvucci family in 
1340, under the title of S. Maria di Monte Oliveto. 

Half-a-mile beyond Monte Oliveto is the Church of Sta. 
Lucia. Over the high altar is a damaged Crucifixion of 
the fifteenth century. In the nave, to the r., is a picture 
by Fra Paolina, Madonna and Child, with SS. Catherine of 
the Wheel, Magdalen, Jerome, Anthony and Gimignano. 

The Pieve of Cellole. About two miles from the Porta 
S. Matteo is the old parish church of Cellole, which once " 
had its chapter and four canons. The building is im- 
pressive because of its extremely simple structure. There 



246 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

is a little carving in rude style. The interior is typical 
of Romanesque churches in the eleventh and twelfth 
centuries. 

A house for lepers was founded close to the Pieve in 
1202^ and it was here that S. Bartolo^ the friend of 
leperS; livedo and died in 1299. 

The church stands on a projecting headland overlooking 
the Val d'Elsa^ and is surrounded by a little grove of 
cypresses. 

SIENA 

[The Sienese claimed descent from Senius^ the son of 
Remus ^ and adopted the she-wolf as their emblem. There 
are^ Jiowever^ no notable remains of Roman times, neither 
gates, walls, nor amphitheatres, such as exist in many 
Tuscan towns. 

The city, as we see it, is the work of the Middle Ages. 
The streets, dwelling-houses and pubhc buildings have 
undergone singularly little change ; and the games and 
festivals held in the city still preserve something of their 
mediaeval character. 

Under the Lombards, Siena was ruled by a royal official ; 
under the Karlings, by a count, whose authority gave place 
to that of the Bishop. The supremacy of the Bishop was 
greatest in the latter half of the eleventh century, when a 
considerable part of the city and district were under his 
jurisdiction, and the nobles were only permitted to have a 
share in the government. In the twelfth century the 
rule of the Bishop had become oppressive, and the nobles 
(the " Grandi ") by allying themselves with the burgher 
merchants ('' Popolani ") succeeded in depriving the 
Bishop of all part in the ruling of the city. 

The history of the commune of Siena is in large part a 
history of the struggle, first of the merchants to wrest the 
government from the nobles, and then of the smaller 
people, artisans and tradesmen, to master the merchants. 

The necessity of safe trade routes to the south and to 



SIENA 247 

the sea obliged Siena early in the thirteenth century to 
begin the work of curbing the power of the territorial 
lords who owned the mountainous country and the waste 
lands of the Maremma in Southern Tuscany. 

As the feudal strongholds were conquered the barons 
were either allowed to remain as vassals or were forced 
to become citizens and build houses for themselves within 
the walls. In either case these nobles remained a cause 
of ceaseless disturbance to the commune. They could 
not be done without, for fighting knights were a necessity 
for the defence of the city ; but;, as we find one of the 
senators pointing out to the magistrates, there was little 
hope that men, " feudal by tradition, military by habit, 
and smarting under great injuries could ever become 
domesticated citizens." 

The knights must be kept, but before the middle of the 
thirteenth century it was decided that they must form a 
class apart and be excluded from all share in the govern- 
ment. 

Besides the struggle with the feudal counts, Siena came 
into contest with her commercial rival, Florence. Both 
desired mastery over the small cities and castles on the 
road to Rome, and this rivalry was the chief factor in 
fixing Sienese policy. Florence, by the end of the twelfth 
century, had become the champion of the rights of the 
Italian communes against Imperial claims. Siena could 
only seek for allies on the other side. As Florence was 
Cuelph, Siena must be Ghibelline. 

At first success lay with the Florentines, but at Monte- 
aperto in 1260 the forces of Siena and Arezzo, with the help 
of King Manfred's German troops, secured an important 
victory. 

The supremacy of the Ghibelline party, however, was 
short-lived. After the successes of Charles of Anjou and 
the Guelph allies in 1266, the supporters of the Imperial 
party were reduced to Pisa and Siena alone. Loss of trade 
and of prestige exasperated the Sienese and led to a 
revolt against the rulers and a radical change in the govern- 



248 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

ment. In 1289 the magistracy was limited to the middle 
clasS; only '^ good merchant people." Their number was 
at first fifteen ; later on there was a further reduction to 
nine (the Nove). The rule of the Nine gradually became 
a close oligarchy ; and lasted for more than seventy years. 
During this period peace was maintained with Florence^, 
Southern Tuscany was brought under control after in- 
domitable efforts^ the woollen and silk trades flourished, 
the Sienese bankers become famous, the University was 
founded. It was during the rule of the Lords Nine that 
several of the finest public buildings were raised, and the 
most important work of Siena's three greatest painters, 
Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, belongs 
to this period. 

At the end of seventy years, however, in 1355, the high- 
handed rule of the priors aroused rebellion both among 
nobles and people. The coming of the Emperor Charles IV. 
into Italy gave the desired opportunity for revolt, the 
Lords Nine were driven out, their palaces sacked and 
burned. A new government was established, more demo- 
cratic in character, the twelve priors being drawn from 
the ^' popolo minuto," for the most part tradesmen and 
notaries. 

These rulers proved to be inefficient and corrupt, un- 
able to guide the commune successfully through the 
difficulties of a war with Perugia, and the attacks of the 
mercenary military companies. 

In 1368 a new combination was attempted. Fifteen 
magistrates were elected, known as the Reformers, repre- 
senting all parties excepting nobles. For the succeeding 
fifty years the government was remarkable chiefly for its 
instability. During a time of famine the wool-carders 
managed to overthrow the ruling priors and set up their 
own representatives, who after a short period were turned 
out by the Reformers. 

In 1404 a coalition government, formed of three repre- 
sentatives from each of the parties, the Nine, the Twelve 
and the Reformers, succeeded in piaintaining a state of 



SIENA 249 

comparative peace and prosperity for seventy-five years. 
A fresh disturbance was caused in 1480 by the coming of 
the Duke of Calabria^ who sowed dissension among the 
priors with the object of securing the lordship of the city 
for himself. 

As a consequence of the strong party spirit and the 
continual change among the rulers^ the number of emi- 
grants banished from the city was enormous. It was said 
that scarcely a town in Italy was without some Sienese. 
During the years of anarchy following the departure of the 
Duke of Calabria; these exiles (fuorusciti) laid aside their 
party rivalries and prepared a combined attack upon their 
native town. In 1487 they succeeded in making an 
entrance, almost without the shedding of blood , and set up 
a new regime which was practically a return to the oligar- 
chical government of the wealthy burgher families. The 
strongest man of the returned exiles was a certain Pan- 
dolfo Petrucci; who became virtually supreme ruler of the 
State although he did not destroy the established govern- 
raent. His policy was that of alliance with Florence, and 
tinder his rule the city became more prosperous and free 
from internal factions and external wars. 
^ On the death of Pandolfo, in 1512, his sons and nephews 
made an unsuccessful attempt to maintain his princely 
rule. In 1522 the citizens once more established their 
priors, and in the hope of greater security placed them- 
selves under the protection of the Emperor Charles V. 

Four years later the exiled Petrucci, supported by the 
Pope and the Florentines, made an attempt to take the 
city. The troops were at the Camellia Gate, when for a 
brief flash the patriotic spirit of the earlier centuries awoke 
and the people fell upon their enemies (women and priests 
joining) and forced them to retreat. 

Charles V. endeavoured to get possession of Siena by 
means of intrigue, sending, in 1548, an accomplished 
Spaniard, Don Diego di Mendoza, who ruled the Republic 
as a despot. When it became known, however, that a 
citadel was about to be built on the Lizza, the citizens 



250 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

rose in defence of their liberty. Assistance came from 
the Sienese in Rome. The Spanish garrison was driven out 
and the fortress razed in 1552. After this the protection 
of the French was obtained^ but no such measures could 
be of any avail against the powerful combination of Duke 
Cosimo and the Emperor Charles^ who were equally bent 
upon the complete subjugation of Siena. In 1554 Spanish 
and Florentine troops besieged the city. The Sienese 
made a heroic resistance, lasting for more than a year, and 
after the capitulation the city state became an integral 
part of the Duchy of Tuscany.] 

The Palaces and Streets 

[The city has preserved its mediaeval character to a 
greater extent than most other Italian towns of the same 
importance. The hilly streets are lined with pointed 
buildings, which have remained practically unaltered 
except for the loss of their high towers. 

In the Middle Ages almost every palace had its fighting 
tower, for the nobles or " Grandi," feudal counts, of the 
neighbourhood who had been conquered by the Republic 
and forced to become citizens within her walls, fortified 
their houses and had a clan following of retainers and 
soldiers. They were military in habit and feudal by 
tradition, and were constantly opposed to the citizens, who 
were traders and merchants and had never lost the tradition 
of Roman law. The Sienese Grandi had a reputation 
for martial strength and skill, and Villani says that at the 
battle of Campaldino they professed great scorn of the 
Florentine lords, who adorned themselves and combed their 
hair like women. The feudal lords were the cause of much 
disturbance in the city, but the commune of traders could 
not do without fighting knights. 

The Tolomei, Salimbeni, Piccolomini, and Saracini were 
some of the most ancient families. The Tolomei traced 
descent from the Ptolomies of Egypt, the Piccolomini from 
Porsenna of Clusium. Among the great merchant families 



SIENA 251 

who ruled the State were the Provenzani^ Aldobrandini; 
Squarcialupi^ and Ugurgheri.] 

The palaces of Siena are unusually uniform in style. 
There are a few Renaissance build ings^ but the majority are 
Italian adaptations of the pointed style^ where horizontal 
lineS; defining the foundations^ the floor constructions^ and 
the cornices carry the eye along the length of the building. 
There are no pinnacled gables , nor pointed niches^ nor steep 
roofs giving an air of height, mystery and solemnity as in 
Northern Gothic. The palaces of Siena are for the most 
part built of warm-coloured brick. They have rows of two 
or three light windows divided by stone shafts, and the 
spandrils of the shallow arcade above the window are often 
filled with coats-of-arms and ensigns. Along the walls of 
the ground floor are fine wrought-iron lamps^ torch links, 
and banner supports. 

The principal palaces are included in the following 
walk : — Start from the Croce del Travaglio, the centre of 
the. city, so called because of the chains which were put up 
across the street to prevent the passage of men-at-arms. 
Here all the principal roads meet, the road to Rome (Porta 
Romana), to Florence (Porta Camollia), and to the Ma- 
remma (Porta S. Marco). 

On the L. is the Loggia dei Mercanti, built by the com- 
mune in 1428 for the convenience of the Guild of Merchants. 
It was reconstructed in the eighteenth century, and is now 
a club-house. Originally there was a Chapel of S. Paul 
attached. 

The statues on the piers of SS. Peter and Paul are by 
Vecchietta (1460). Those of SS. Victor, Ansanus and 
Savinus, the patrons of Siena, are by Federighi. The 
carvings on the marble bench are by Federighi on the r., 
and by Urbano da Cortona on the l. They represent the 
Cardinal Virtues. Note the arms of the Merchants' 
Guild, a pair of scales and a ball, on the back of the bench. 

Passing along the Via di Cittk there are several houses 
of characteristic Sienese type, such as Nos. 8, 11, 13 
and 15. At the top of the incline^ No. 21, is the fine 



252 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

palace of the Saracini family, built in a curve following 
the line of the street. The lower part is of grey stone ; 
the upper part and the tower of red brick. Over the door 
and above the windows are the Saracini arms, an eagle, and 
a Saracen's head. In the court is a statue of Julius III., 
whose mother was Cristofora Saracini. 

A few steps farther on is the Palazzo Piccolomini, No. 
20, now the Banca d'ltalia. It is a stone building in the 
style of the Renaissance palaces of Florence. It was built 
by Caterina Piccolomini, sister of Pius II. 

The next on the R., a brick pointed building, Palazzo 
Marsili, No. 21, is one of the oldest in Siena, but it was 
reconstructed in the fifteenth century. 

At the end of the Via di Citta, at the corner of the Piazza 
di Postierla, is the base of an old tower of the Forteguerri 
family, originally connected by a bridge with their palace 
on the opposite side. 

In the piazza on the R. is the great Piccolomini palace, 
formerly the Chigi, whose arms are to be seen high in the 
fagade. The building dates from the sixteenth century. In 
the Via del Capitano, No. 3, is a fine building of the 
thirteenth century, built by the Republic for the Captain 
of War. The coats-of-arms of the various captains are 
painted under the battlements. In the court there is an 
imposing staircase, with the lion of the people at the end 
of the balustrade. At the top of the stairs are fine wrought- 
iron gates, and on the wall of the court a little fresco of 
Madonna and Child. 

At the end of the Capitano is part of the great hospital, 
S. Maria della Scala. Pass into the Piazza del Duomo, 
on the R. is the Palazzo Reale, built at the end of the 
sixteenth century for the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany, 
a huge, uninteresting structure, now the Prefettura. 

On the other side of the piazza, beyond the Duomo, is 
the black and white fa9ade of the Palazzo Arcivescovile, 
built in 1717. 

Returning again to the Piazza Postierla, turn to the r., 
into the Via Stalloreggi. At the corner is a column with 



SIENA 253 

the wolf and twins^ raised in the fifteenth century as a 
standard bearer for this quarter of the city. 

A picturesque stone house with pointed windows, No. 4, 
is one of the oldest in the city, At the comer of the Via 
Castel Vecchio is a house with a weathered fresco of the 
Deposition, by Bazzi. 

Return to the Piazza Postierla and turn to the r., into, 
the Via S. Pietro. Several of the houses in this street 
have the sacred monogram of S. Bernardino above the 
doors. No. II is the richly decorated Palazzo Buonsignori 
of the fourteenth century, restored in 1848. 

Turn to the l., into the Via del Casato, which will lead 
us back into the Campo. This was the aristocratic quarter 
of the ancient city, and although the old houses have been 
much altered, there are many picturesque openings giving 
glimpses of the town below. 

Nos. 17 and 21 are fifteenth-century palaces standing 
on the site of the old houses of the Ugurgheri family. 
No. 9, a large Renaissance palace built in 17 15, is now the 
Palazzo del Guistizia. Near by are two fine houses of the 
fourteenth century, formerly belonging to the Chigi and 
Cerretani families. 

Cross the Campo in front of the Palazzo Pubblico, which 
surpasses all the private houses in dignity and picturesque 
quality, and turn into the Via Rinaldini. On the r. is 
the great mass of the Piccolomini Palace (entrance in the 
Via Ricascoli), built by Pope Pius II. for his nephews, of 
the Todeschini family, in the fifteenth century. It is now 
called the Palazzo del Governo, and is occupied by the 
Archivio di Stato. The front part is of square blocks 
of stone, and has an elaborate Renaissance cornice. 
Notice the torch supports forming the Piccolomini 
arms. 

Opposite is the small Loggia del Papa, built under Pius II. 
in 1462, with sculpture by Federighi (1420-1490). The 
style is severely classical. Light arches and columns 
bound together by rods take the place of the solid vault- 
ing and piers of the Loggia dei Mercanti. 



254 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In the Via Ricasoli there are several fine brick houses 
with the remains of massive towers. 

Turn to the R._, into the V^ia Calzoleria^ which leads up to 
the Piazza Tolomei. 

In front is the striking Palace of the Tolomei^ built in 
1205, but restored at various periods. It is built of grey 
stone and has two-light windows with trefoil cusps. The 
space under the arcade is filled with ornamental designs. 

The Tolomei family were the cause of many disturbances 
in the city^ chiefly on account of the feud kept up for many 
generations with the house of Salimbeni. 

The Tolomei were exiled several times as the ringleaders 
of unsuccessful revolts, and finally ^ in 1555, they were 
among those who exiled themselves rather than submit to 
Spanish dominion. 

Continuing along the Via Cavour we may notice No. 14, 
a large pointed palace, next to the Palazzo Spannocchi, 
now the Post Office, built in 1472 by Giuliano da Majano, 
and restored in 1880. 

The palaces of the Salimbeni, in the piazza of that name, 
have been practically rebuilt. This powerful family of 
bankers was one of the richest in Siena. The family 
identified its interests with the Monte dei Dodici, after the 
fall of the Lords Nine, and its chief members were exiled 
by the succeeding government of the Reformers. 

The Palazzo Pubblico 

[The palace was built during the rule of the '' Nine," 
when office could only be held by burgher merchants, 
and all nobles were excluded from the supreme govern- 
ment. During the period of the rule of the '' Nine " 
(1285-1355), Siena, according to one of her historians^ 
" was ruled by her .own citizens. The people were ex- 
perienced in war and in business, full of valour and of 
prudence. They favoured parsimony and rough strength, 
and were content to live on little."] 

In 1288 it was decided that the old Palazzo del Bolgano 



SIENA 255 

in the Campo^ the seat of the podesta^ should be enlarged 
and made the permanent residence of the officials of the 
commune. The building was begun in 1297^ and finished 
in 1309. Additional storeys were added to the side wings 
in 1338. 

It is a fortress-palace with all the necessary provisions 
for defence^ dungeons for prisoners^ courtyards for the 
marshalling of soldiers ; yet by the use of colour^ the rose- 
red brick^ grey travertine and white marble^ the general 
effect produced is that of a majestic and gracious dwelling. 
The round-headed three-light windows^ with slender 
white shafts, are enclosed under a pointed arch above, the 
spaces between are filled with the Balzana, the city arms. 

Some part of Siena's history is marked by the ensigns 
that decorate the central block. High above the others 
is the holy ensign of S. Bernardino, the monogram of 
Christ ; then comes the Medici arms ; and lower still, a list 
of the citizens who voted for the unification of Italy. 

The high slender Tower is one of the most beautiful in 
Italy. The first stone was laid with great solemnities in 
1325. It is said that besides the pieces of money placed 
at the four comers of the foundations there were stones 
carved with Hebrew, Greek, and Latin letters, to ensure 
the building against thunderbolts, lightning, and earth- 
quakes. The architect of the tower is unknown, but it is 
said that many masters were connected with the building. 
The name of Agostino di Giovanni is mentioned as operaio 
in 1339. The work appears to have been finished in 1345. 

The great bell was rung to summon the general council, 
and also to call the knights and foot soldiers to arms in 
times of disturbance. At such times it was the custom 
to put a lighted candle at the door of the Palazzo Pubblico, 
and before it was spent the soldiers were bound to assemble 
in the piazza, or, in the case of faction quarrels, the exiles 
were bound to be outside of the city gates. 

The Chapel at the foot of the tower was vowed in 
gratitude to the Virgin for deliverance from the Black 
Death of 1348. The building was begun in 1352, and 



2S6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

finished in 1376. Only the lower part of this fourteenth- 
century building remains. The upper part was recon- 
structed a hundred years later (1460)^' when Antonio 
Fedenght made a frieze of griffins and other ornaments in 
imitation of the design of griffins on the Temple of Faustina 
in Rome. The six statues under pointed niches are the 
work of Sienese sculptors of the fourteenth century. They 
are SS. James Major^ Peter^ John the Baptist^ Matthew, 
Bartholomew;, and Andrew. They have the pose and the 
fringed drapery characteristic of the Pisan school, from 
which these very inferior artists derived their tradition. 
The allegorical figures on the parapet, arithmetic and 
geometry, are in the style of the fourteenth century. 

Other panels resemble those of the old baptismal font 
of the Duomo, now in the Opera. 

On the wall of the chapel is a much-damaged fresco by 
Bazzt of the Assumption of the Virgin, painted for the 
great festival held every year in the piazza on the day of 
the Assumption in mid-August. 

The first door to the R. of the chapel leads into an 
extremely picturesque court, with many coats - of - arms 
and crests of the podestas on the walls. 

The door of entrance to the palace (tickets, 50 cen- 
times) has, above the door, the she-wolf and the twins, 
and the rampant lion, arms adopted to mark the triumph 
of the democratic party over the nobles. 

On the ground floor are several rooms now used as 
municipal offices. 

In the Mayor's Parlour, the " Sala di Sindaco," 
opposite to the door, is the Resurrection, by Antonio 
Bazzi, 

In the next room, picturesquely and gaily decorated 
with coats - of - arms, is the Coronation of the Virgin, 
by Sano di Pietro ; at the sides are SS. Bernardino and 
Catherine. 

In the Sala di Matrimonio is a picture by Bazzi over the 
entrance door, Madonna and Child, with SS. Ansano and 
Galgano. 



SIENA 257 

In the Ufiicio di Anagrafi is a Virgin of Mercy spreading 
her mantle over her suppliants^ by Vecchtetta. 

The entrance to the upper floor is by the outer door^ to 
the R. 

Mount the stairs. 

The first room is the Hall of the Great Council^ known 
as the Sala del Mappo-mondo^ now used as a court-room. 

The end wall is covered with Simone Martini's great 
fresco of the Majestas. 

To take the pictures chronologically; however^ we must 
begin with the Madonna and Child; by Guido da Siena, 
hung on the wall opposite. Madonna has a long nose^ 
narrow eyeS; small mouth and chin. Her expression is 
not austere but calm and benign^ and the large dignified 
figure has none of the meagre harshness of Italo-Byzantine 
work. The date of the picture is probably 1281. 

Rather more than thirty years later^ Simone Martini 
painted the Majestas.* It illustrates both the specific 
qualities of Sienese art; gaiety of colour with decorative 
quality of line and devotional fervour. The fresco is 
much damaged ; it requires some patient study before its 
intrinsic beauty can be perceived. Use an opera glass. 

Madonna; enthroned under a great baldacchinO; is 
surrounded by a court of apostleS; archangels and saints. 
The Child; standing on His mother's kneeS; blesses 
the city Council in the Greek fashion; and holds 
a scroll with the charge; '^ Follow after Justice; ye who 
rule the earth." Two angels kneeling on the steps offer 
vases with roses and lilieS; and behind them are the four 
patrons of the city; AnsanuS; SavinuS; CrescentiuS; and 
Victor; on their knees ; praying that the Virgin shall show 
favour to her city. On the steps of the throne are rhym- 
ing verses in Italian; in which the Virgin says that the 
angels' fiowerS; the lilies and roses from the heavenly 
meadowS; do not delight her more than good counsels ; 
but that sometimes she hears those who despise her and 
lead her state into error; and when they give worst counsel 
they are most praised. 



258 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

On the step below the patron saints is the reply of the 
Virgin to their prayers. She promises to satisfy them as 
they would wish, but warns oppressors and those who 
deceive her state that they shall have no benefit from such 
prayers. 

The frame has twenty medallions, Christ in the centre at 
the top, with the Four Evangelists at the corners, the four 
Doctors of the Church along the bottom, and ten prophets. 
In the centre of the frame, at the foot, is a double-headed 
figure. The old face represents the Old Law, with a nimbus 
of the four Cardinal Virtues ; the young face, the New Law, 
with a nimbus of the three Theological Virtues. A scroll 
of the Ten Commandments is held by the Old Law, and 
one with the Seven Sacraments by the New. 

In the midst of all this splendid state Simone has set 
Mother and Child, an enchanting ideal of simplicity and 
loving humility. 

Turning again to the opposite wall, Simone Martini also 
painted Messer Guido Ricci dei Fogliani, of Reggio, 
Captain of War. He fell into disgrace in 1333, and was 
dismissed by the Lords Nine on the accusation of having 
accepted bribes. The Republic, however, honoured him by 
having this statue on horseback painted. The date 1328 
probably refers to Guide's successful enterprise against 
Montemassi in that year. 

On the wall opposite to the windows are monochrome 
pictures illustrating later Sienese history. Nearest to the 
entrance is the battle of Torrita, in the Val di Chiana, 
fought by the Sienese, with the help of German mercenaries, 
against the ^^ Company of the Hat," one of the marauding 
bands led by condottiere, which infested Italy in the 
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It was during the 
government of the Twelve, in 1363, and was the one 
occasion when the rulers showed themselves vigorous 
enough to fight the marauders, instead of bribing them 
to go away. In the extreme l. S. Paul sits in the city 
gate with drawn sword, for the battle was fought on 
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SIENA 259 

preceded by the knights, who drive back the routed 
enemy. 

The second fresco illustrates the battle of Poggio Im- 
periale, in 1479, when Siena took sides, with the King of 
Naples and the Pope, against the allied forces of Florence 
and Milan. The Sienese painter has turned this into a 
triumph for Siena. In the centre stand Duke Alfonso 
of Calabria and the Duke of Urbino. Beside them are 
the Sienese troops, under El Posso their leader, attacking 
the enemy's forces. On the heights, to the left, the town 
of Poggibonsi and the Castle of Poggio Imperiale are 
flying the Florentine banners.. In the foreground is the 
river Elsa. 

On the pilasters on this wall are portraits of four of 
Siena's saintly citizens, rightly placed in the Council Hall 
of the Public Palace, for all four used their influence for 
the good of the State, in trying to make peace between the 
rival factions of the city. Nearest to the Majestas is 
the Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni, the son of a noble family, 
w^ho became a Dominican, studied under Albert the Great 
in Paris, was a fellow-student of Thomas Aquinas, became 
^^ a preacher dear to God, drawing many away from the 
precipice of sin to the way of salvation." Twice he suc- 
ceeded in getting an interdict removed from the city, and 
for this reason is generally represented as holding the city 
in his hand. He died in 1287, and the Lords Nine began 
their rule by dedicating a chapel above his tomb in 
S. Domenico. Later it was decreed that on the day of 
S. Ambrogio a solemn palio should be run in his honour. 
Next to him is the Blessed Bernardo Tolomei, born of 
another noble house about the time that S. Ambrogio died. 
He was a lecturer in the university, and was smitten with 
blindness while delivering a discourse in praise of philo- 
sophy. Having recovered his sight through the grace of 
the Virgin, he retired to Monte Oliveto, where he established 
a monastery. During a time of plague he gave his life in 
the service of the sick. The painting is by Bazsi. 

The third figure^ painted by Vecchietta, is that of 



26o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

S. Catherine^ the daughter of a dyer born in Siena in 1347. 
The fourth figure is S. Bernardino^ a citizen of the Re- 
pubhc, but born in Massa in 1380^ the year in which 
Catherine died ; the painting is by Sano di Pietro. This 
saint had a special mission against vainglory. He per- 
suaded people to take down coats-of-arms^ as incitements to 
vanity and violence^ and put up the ensign of Christy which 
he is represented as holding. The widespread influence 
of his preaching may be judged by the number of these 
signs upon houses and churches throughout Tuscany. 

On the end wall are two characteristic paintings by 
Antonio Bazzi. S. Ansano^, standing in a richly orna- 
mented niche^ is a young and elegant youth pouring water 
upon a convert. S. Victor has the usual outfit of a Roman 
soldier ; two child angels play with the military equip- 
ments. There is no complexity in Bazzi's presentment of 
these martyr saints ; he represents them as handsomely 
vulgar young men. His painting is common stuff, but it 
is so radiantly common that it will always count for some- 
thing. 

Turn to the left^ through the second archway, into the 
Vestibule of the Chapel. It is covered with frescoes 
painted by Taddeo Bartolo in 1414, of little artistic merit, 
but extremely interesting as evidence of the same spirit 
which inspired Dante's treatise on '' Monarchy/' and the 
'^ Banquet." The Roman Empire is regarded as a divinely 
ordered State, and its citizens as examples of the great 
civil virtues (De Mon. Bk. II. ; Conv. iv. 5). 

Under the entrance arch is the Holy City of Rome, with 
four gods, Apollo, Pallas^, Mars, and Jupiter, probably 
symbolising Art, Science, War, and Government. 

On the jambs below, l. Aristotle, described as one who 
studied the reasons of things, and taught the arts by means 
of which Republics raise themselves to the stars. On the 
right, Julius Caesar and Pompey, with the warning that 
by their concord these men helped the public good ; by 
their ambition Roman liberty perished. 

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' SIENA 261 

Religion, a seated woman, with a scroll. " Whatever ye 
do in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ " (Col. iii. 17). 

In the lunettes are the four great Virtues for the right 
ruling of states, with twenty examples (round about and 
below) of Roman citizens. On the left, Justice, with three 
standing figures below, of Cicero, Cato of Utica, Scipio 
Nasica ; and in the medallions of the frame, Fabricius, 
Mutius Scaevola, Appius Cecus, Dentatus. The next 
figure. Magnanimity, stretches a protecting hand to a 
suppliant, and strikes with a dagger an armed tyrant. 
Below her stand M. C. Dentatus, Furius Camillus, and 
Scipio Africanus. In the medallions are Paulus vEmilius, 
Scipio Minor, Regulus, Marcus Drusus. 

On the opposite wall, lunette, r.. Prudence, with Fabius 
Maximus, Lucius Brutus, and Marcellus, surrounding 
Lelius, in the spandrils of the arch. Prudence is seated, 
holds a torch and points to the serpent in the corner, which 
is forming a circle by biting its own tail. 

Fortitude (l.), with tower and spear, is surrounded by 
Torquato, Cato the Stoic, Publius Decius (in the spandrils), 
Brutus Junior. 

On the wall opposite the entrance is the single example 
from Christian hagiology, a colossal S. Christopher, who 
stands for the virtues of the active life as opposed to the 
contemplative. It is noticeable that in all these figures 
the ideal of Virtue inculcated is distinctly practical and 
directly related to the ruling of the State. 

The ChapeL A magnificent screen of wrought-iron 
separates the chapel from^ the vestibule. The picturesque 
vaulted room, receiving light only through the archways 
leading into the Great Hall, is painted in bright glowing 
colours lighted up with gold, the work of Taddeo Bartolo. 
The subject is the Death and Assumption of the Virgin, 
Queen of Siena. 

Begin with the lunette on the l. nearest to the screen. 

(i) The miraculous appearance of the Apostles to the 
Virgin at her approaching death. 



262 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In the next lunette beyond the dividing arch : 

(2) Christ receives the soul of the Virgin at the 
moment of death. 

(3) Below^ the Virgin is carried to burial by the Apostles. 

(4) Christ descends in an aureole and raises the body of 
His mother after it had lain in the tomb for forty days^ the 
Apostles being again miraculously summoned. 

In the lunetteS; on the altar wall^ is the Annunciation. 
In the spaces below are the prophets who foretold the 
Virgin's nativity^ and death. On the left, Isaiah^ with 
S. Peter below ; rights Jeremiah and S. Paul. 

In the lunettes above the dividing arch are the Evan- 
gelists and Doctors of the Church ; in the spandrils^ pro- 
phets. Taddeo Bartolo keeps to the traditional form of 
composition : there is a grave and reverent feeling about 
the pictures^ and they are decorative in effect. Looked at 
closely^ however^ they do not heighten nor deepen our 
realisation of the subject. The faces are insignificant and 
the figures unimpressive. 

On the altar is the Holy Family^ with S. Leonard, by 
Bazzi, The Madonna's face is very beautiful, and the wild, 
romantic landscapes, with castles and ruined amphitheatre, 
gives some character to the group of figures. S. Leonard 
is the patron of slaves and prisoners ; and the Child appears 
to be receiving chains or fetters from him. 

The Choir Stalls have beautiful intarsia panels illustrat- 
ing the Creed, the work of Domenico di Niccolo about the 
year 1400. The Sienese intarsia workers were famous in 
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and their work is 
to be found widely spread in Italy. The series begins 
nearest to the altar on the l. Notice the effective use of 
green colour in several of the panels. Below the intarsia 
are charming wood carvings resembling Gothic tracery. 
A fine lamp of inlaid wood, with figures in relief, hangs in 
the centre, and on the altar is a silver bust of S. Sigis- 
mund. 

Return to the Great Hall, and pass by a door opposite 
into the Hall of Peace or the Hall of the Nine. The 



SIENA 263 

walls are covered with frescoes^* by Amhrogio Loren- 
zettiy illustrating the burgher ideal of a wisely governed 
State. They were painted in 1337^ under the rule of the 
" Nine/' during a time of peace and prosperity. 

(The pictures are considerably damaged^ and an opera 
glass will be found necessary.) Begin with the wall 
opposite to the window. On the right is the colossal figure 
of an old man seated in the midst of his court. This is 
the Commune of Siena. (The letters on his crown are^ 
C.S.C.C.V._, Commune Senarum cum Civilibus virtuti- 
bus.) On his knee rests a picture of the Virgin sovereign 
of the State. He is dressed in the colours of the Balzana; 
black and white. At his feet is the she-wolf ^ with the twins. 
Seated on the bench are the six Civil Virtues^ a court of the 
moral forces guiding public life. Beginning at the l.^ they 
are : PeacC; with an olive branchy treading on a helmet ; 
Fortitude; with shield and sword ; Prudence pointing to 
the wordS; ^' Past; Present and Future " ; Magnanimity^ 
with a tiara and a money chest ; Temperance looking at 
an hour-glass ; Justice holding a crown and resting an 
upright sword upon a decapitated head. To the r.^ below 
the Virtues^ are the material forces of government^ the 
knights and soldiers. The fresco here is much damaged ^ 
but the groups of subjects and prisoners^ some of whom^ 
kneeling; offer their castleS; can be deciphered. Up above 
the head of the Commune are the three Theological Virtues : 
Charity; with flaming brain and burning heart ; Faith; 
with a cross ; HopC; looking up at the face of Christ. 

To the extreme l. of the picture; balancing the figure 
of the CommunC; is a group of personified virtues. At the 
top is Wisdom (sapientia). holding the balance; which rests 
upon the head of Justice; seated below. Justice; keeping 
her eyes fixed upon Wisdom; adjusts the scales evenly 
with her thumbs. On the background are the words, 
'' Diligite justitiam qui judicatis terram " (Follow after 
justice; ye that rule the earth). In each of the scales is an 
angel. The one to the left (in red); labelled Distributiva; 
Crowns a kneeling man and cuts off the head of another. 



264 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The angel to the rights Commutativa, receives money 
from one man kneeUng^ and pushes away the sword of 
another^ who appears to ask for vengeance. 

Cords pass from the waists of these angels into the hands 
of Concord below^ who twists them together and hands 
them to the citizens. The emblem of Concord is a car- 
penter's planC; and underneath is an inscription which says 
that triumphs^ tributes^ the pursuit of every useful and 
delightful enterprise^ are the possession of that State 
whose rulers^ with united minds^ never turn their eyes from 
the splendours of the Virtues. The cord received from 
Concord passes through the hands of the group of citizens 
and is attached to the sceptre of the Commune. 

In the border framing the fresco are a number of medal- 
lions wath personifications of the seven liberal arts^ and 
philosophy (along the foot); the seven heavens, with figures 
indicating the influence of the stars on the fortunes of 
men (along the top). 

On the wall to the left is the personification of bad 
government and evil ruling. Tyranny is seated on a 
bench outside of the city walls, supported by a court of the 
Vices. Tyranny is a colossal man, richly robed, with 
tusks, horns, and squinting eyes. He holds a mallet. The 
Vices forming the court are, beginning on the l. : Cruelty, 
threatening a child with a serpent ; Fraud, nursing a 
dragon covered with a lamb's skin ; Treachery, a woman 
with bat's wings. Right. Fury, a composite creature with a 
boar's head, man's body, and four legs ; Division, clothed 
in black and white, tearing himself; War with a shield 
and weapon preparing to strike. Above the great figure 
of Tyranny float a trinity of vices : Avarice with a chest. 
Pride with a sword and yoke. Vainglory richly dressed, 
with a mirror and palm branch. 

Below the feet of Tyranny lies S. Guistizia, holy Justice, 
bound : beside her is a woman grasping the scales and look- 
ing up in appeal. Along the foot is an inscription, saying 
that where Justice lies bound none are in agreement for 
the com^mon good, and tyranny must rule. 



SIENA 265 

On the wall beyond traces remain of a city and country 
where acts of violence and cruelty take place. In the 
border are medallions of typical tyrants ; the only one now 
remaining is Nero. 

On the right wall, opposite, is a picture of a State in 
peace and prosperity under good government. In the 
streets people are buying and sellings children dance^ a 
bridal party goes on its way. Outside of the town men 
work in the fields ; huntsmen ride out from the gates. The 
trade overseas is indicated by the port of Talamone in the 
background. Above is a personification of Security. 

Such pictures are in accordance with the spirit of the 
fourteenth century^ when the first requirement demanded 
of art was that it should instruct. Here the purpose is to 
teach^ not theology; but politics. 

When such pictures fail it is not because of their didactic 
aim; but because they are poor pictures. In these frescoes 
some of the pictures at least give delight ; they are finely 
imagined and full of convincing sincerity. The Virtues 
enthroned beside the Commune of Siena are not mere 
signs holding their attributes. There is a certain regal 
magnificence in these stately figures w^ith calm^ well- 
featured faces. It has been suggested that some classical 
relief may have been the inspiration for the figure of 
Peace ; but this charming lady^ with her vivacious ex- 
pression and nonchalant pose^ is romantic in spirit rather 
than classical. These Virtues have no air either of the 
church or the convent about them^ and they are singularly 
free from the influence of asceticism. In this respect they 
are a contrast to the Virtues in the Spanish Chapel; and on 
Orcagna's shrinC; in Florence. The Vices are not con- 
ceived with the same intensity of imagination. Apart 
from the artistic quality; it is not; however; the detail of 
Ambrogio's picture that gives us pleasure ; it is the im- 
pression of the whole as a sincere presentment of a lofty 
political ideal. We may contrast the spirit of these four- 
teenth-century pictures with the sixteenth-century paint- 
ings in the Ducal Palace of Venice; where the one object 



266 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

is to exalt the greatness of the State, not in wisdom nor 
in virtue nor in peace, but in wealth and material 
splendour. 

Return through the Great Hall to the Sala di Passeggio, 
where there are a few panel pictures. 

Turn to the l. A panel of the Annunciation. The 
Virgin and Child, by Cozzarelli. Below this, S. Ber- 
nardino preaching and working a miracle, by Vecchietta. 
A group of saints, Lawrence, Magdalen, and Anthony. 

Turn to the r., into the Sala di Balik, painted with 
frescoes in 1407 and 1408, by Spinello Aretino, and his son, 
Parri, or Gasparo. The pictures, in sixteen divisions, 
tell the story of the contest between Pope Alexander III. 
and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. For the Sienese 
the interest in the struggle lay in the fact that the Pope 
was a citizen of Siena, and with characteristic vanity the 
history is told so as to glorify the Bandinelli family. 

The pictures are based upon Chronicles, and some of the 
incidents are not supported by historical fact. After 
the coronation of Orlando Bandinelli as Pope in 1160, 
when he took the name of Alexander III,, the legend 
explains that a quarrel was brought about by four schis- 
matical bishops between the Emperor Barbarossa and 
the Pope, and the Imperial party supported an anti-Pope, 
Victor IV. Spoleto, which adhered to Alexander III., was 
besieged and destroyed. Alexander took refuge in France. 
He gave his adherence to the Lombard League, and had 
the support of Spain, France and England. (His financial 
mainstay was Henry II. of England, whose struggles shortly 
afterwards against ecclesiastical pretensions, and his final 
humiliation at the shrine of Thomas a Becket, suggest a 
parallel with the Emperor's humiliation as represented 
here by Spinello.) After various turns of fortune Alex- 
ander escaped to Venice in the disguise of a priest, where 
he was recognised and received with all honours by the 
Doge Ziani. The Venetians were victorious over the 
Imperial forces in a naval battle off Istria, and Prince Otto 
was taken prisoner. Peace was finally made between the 



SIENA 267 

Venetians and the Emperor^ Prince Otto acting as medi- 
ator. Barbarossa^ according to the Venetian chroniclers^ 
made full submission to Alexander III. as legitimate Pope^ 
and the pride of his race moved Bandinelli to place his 
foot upon the neck of the kneeling Emperor^ saying, 
'' Super aspidem et basiliscum ponam pedes nostros." 
Whereupon Frederick returned with spirit, '' Non tibi, 
sed Petro." After the truce the Emperor, Pope, and Doge 
set out for Rome, which they entered in triumph. (In the 
Doge's Palace in Venice we find the same historical episode 
illustrated in the same spirit of civic pride, there it is the 
Doge Ziani who plays the prominent part.) 

The Sala di Balia is divided by an archway. 

Begin with the upper series of pictures in the lunettes. 
Wall opposite to the window, R., the Coronation of Alex- 
ander III. by the Cardinals. 

(2) Entrance wall. Quarrel between Alexander and 
Barbarossa. 

(3) The siege of a city by the Imperial forces, perhaps 
Spoleto. 

On the window wall. The Pope and Emperor receive 
a letter from a messenger. 

On the arch dividing the room. The Coronation of the 
anti-Pope, Victor IV., in the presence of the Emperor. 

Scene of the recognition of Alexander by a pilgrim, in 
the monastery at Venice. 

Lower series. Wall opposite to the window. Alexander 
gives a sword to the Doge, who prepares to attack the 
Emperor. 

Wall of entrance. The naval battle near Istria. In 
the L. corner is the capture of Prince Otto. 

Pass under the arch which divides the room. Upper 
series, on the arch. Alexander III. holding council with his 
cardinals. The burning of a heretical bishop. 

On the window wall. Prince Otto intercedes with the 
Pope. 

End wall. Prince Otto is reconciled with the Pope. 
The next lunette is defaced. 



268 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Wall opposite to the window. The Emperor's sub- 
mission to the Pope. On the end wall. The triumphal 
entry of Alexander III. into Rome^ accompanied by the 
Emperor and Doge as his escorts. 

AbovC;, in the lunette^ is the building of the town of 
Alexandria. 

Spinello has the Giotteschi quality of lucid arrangement. 
He has an easy story-telling sty le^ with a gay and agreeable 
fashion of colouring. He makes no attempt to express 
emotion . Even in the scene of the abasement of the Emperor 
there is only a crude indication of wonder on the part of 
the cardinals. Spinello was the last of the inheritors of 
the great fourteenth-century tradition^ which owed its rise 
to Giotto ; but in his hands the inheritance was not 
increased. The roof was painted by Martino di Bartolom- 
meo of Siena in 1407^ with personifications of the Virtues. 

There are several interesting caskets in the room. One^ 
of gilded w^ood; has dainty little paintings of saints^ and 
the city arms^ in the Sienese manner. The second^ bound 
with iroU; was used as a money chest for daily expenditure 
by the Treasury. 

The door leads to the great stairway rising to the upper 
storey. At the foot of the stairs is a fresco of Madonna 
and Child; by Neroccio. 

Across the passage from the Sala di Balia is the great 
Sala del Vittorio Emmanuele, carved with paintings 
commemorating events connected with the union of Italy. 
At the end of the room^ under the ceiling , is a quotation 
from Dante's prophecy of the '' Veltro " which shall come 
to cure the ills of Italy. 

Return through the Balia^ to the Sala del Concistoro, 
with ceilings painted by Beccafumi. The walls are 
covered with tapestry. Note the beautiful marble door- 
way with delicate carving in the style of the Early 
Renaissance. 

The Upper Loggia^ reached from the great stairway^ 
commands a most interesting view of the city and the 
distant country to Monte Amiata. From" the parapet we 



SIENA 269 

look down into the square^ now a busy market-place ^ but 
formerly the place of execution. Many times in the 
history of the commune^ traitors and enemies of the 
" pacific state " were thrown from the windows into 
the square below\ 

Around the walls of the loggia are the carved panels 
and statues of the Fonte Gaja^, the work of Jacopo delta 
Querela. The reliefs are damaged^ in some cases almost 
entirely destroyed^ yet it is possible to understand some- 
thing of the magnificent breadth and freedom of the work. 
From these battered fragments we form a higher opinion 
of Jacopo's capacity as a sculptor than from anything else 
he has left us. There is a sense of power, a command of 
style such as we rarely find in Italian sculpture until the 
days of Michelangelo. The two figures which stand free 
are hardly in better preservation than the rest. Enough 
is left, however, to show that Jacopo was equally great in 
the concentration of his design and the gracious beauty of 
the figure. 

The Piazza, commonly called the Campo, is one of the 
most striking public squares to be found in Italy, a country 
where in every city, large and small, the piazza forms an 
important feature. In mediaeval times the campo was 
the open meeting-place of the citizens on all public occa- 
sions. Here they celebrated their victories, tortured their 
criminals, listened to the sermons of popular preachers, 
and played their games. In 1260, after the victory over 
Florence and her allies at Monteaperto, seventy-five of the 
leading citizens of Montalcino, who had rebelled against 
Siena, were obliged to come into the piazza, barefooted, 
ungirdled and with their heads uncovered. First they 
saluted the glorious carroccio, the sacred ark of battle, 
which carried the banners of the commune into the field ; 
then they prostrated themselves before the Public Parlia- 
ment, and received pardon on condition that they buried 
the dead left on the battlefield. 

In 1273, when the Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni,by means 

T 



270 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of intercession with the Pope, freed the city from interdict^ 
representations were made in the piazza^ first of the Frate 
interceding with the Pope^ then of a cave full of devils 
attacked by an army of angels^ and destroyed just as they 
were preparing to molest Siena. The fierce games, com- 
mon in most Italian towns in the Middle Ages, were fought 
in the square. In 131 7 it is recorded that a " giuoco di 
pugno/' in which stones were thrown, became so fierce 
that both bishop and podesta tried to separate the com- 
batants, and afterwards there were as many stones in 
front of the Palazzo Pubblico as would have built a house. 

San Bernardino delivered sermons in the piazza in 1425, 
and set up bonfires for the burning of ^' vanities," urging 
the destruction of all party banners, ensigns, and coats-of- 
arms as so many incitements to faction fights. Public 
reconciliations of rival families took place in the square 
on several occasions. In 1494 there was an oath of peace 
taken by the burghers, ^' between one and two hours of 
the night, with torches lighted ; and the oath taken was 
of the most horrible sort full of maledictions, imprecations, 
excommunications, and so many other woes that it was a 
terror to hear." 

In times of civil war, or of disturbance within the city 
gates, the piazza was a vantage ground, and the commune 
placed chains across the street entrances, which could be 
bolted on to the walls and so prevent the ingress of the 
mounted knights. 

The buildings surrounding the Campo have been greatly 
changed. Many of the palaces were built in the styl^ of 
the Palazzo Pubblico, each with its own high tower. At 
present the only building of note is the Sansedoni Palace, 
built of brick, with three-light windows, and with the short 
stumps of two towers remaining. 

The fountain in the Campo is a modern replica of the 
fifteenth-century work, the Fonte Gaja, made by Jacopo 
della Querela. The remains of the original work are now 
placed in the loggia in the upper storey of the Palazzo 
Pubblico. The commission was given to Jacopo in 1409, 



SIENA 271 

but the work was not finished until 141 9, when the sculptor 
received payment of 2280 gold florins. 

On the pedestals to the extreme r. and l. of the fountain 
are two women^ each with a couple of children. They are 
supposed to represent Acca Laurentia and Rhea Silvia^ 
both of whom were connected, according to current myth- 
ology, with the twins Romulus and Remus, the legendary 
founders of Rome. On the retaining wall which surrounds 
the fountain there are a number of reliefs, with Madonna 
and Child in the centre. Beginning at the l., the first 
relief is the Creation of Adam ; then follow Wisdom, Hope, 
Fortitude, Prudence, Madonna and Child, Justice, Charity, 
Temperance, Faith ; to the extreme R., the Expulsion from 
Paradise. 

The Duomo. Exterior 

[The Duomo may be reached from the centre of the city 
by climbing the Via di Citta and turning to the R., along 
the Via del Capitano ; or, better still, by turning to the r. 
into the Via Pellegrini at the bottom of the Via di Citta^ 
and thus reaching the Piazza di S. Giovanni, and thence 
by the steps and the Via Monna Agnese. The first way 
brings us face to face with the western facade ; by the 
second we reach the vast space which w^as to have formed 
the nave of the extended church. From either point of 
view the Piazza of the Duomo is markedly aloof from the 
life of the town : it is surrounded by buildings of an official 
kind ; there is none of the busy turmoil that surrounds the 
Florentine church, nor is it the playground of the people, 
like the meadow at Pisa. Standing on the steps of the 
Duomo the visitor sees before him the Hospital of S. M. 
della Scala ; to the l. is the Palazzo Reale, designed by 
Buontalenti and dating from the sixteenth century ; to 
the R. is the palace of the Archbishop. 

The Sienese Duomo as a whole belongs to the period 
when the Pointed style flourished in Italy; its early history 
connects it with the Cistercian monks, who were the pioneers 
of the style in Italy and who were already settled at 



272 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

S. Galgano. The building of the ia9ade (but not its entire 
decoration) was finished in 1377^ some twenty-five years 
before the activities of Brunelleschi^ Donatello^, Jacopo 
della Quercia and Ghiberti set in motion that renaissance 
in sculpture and architecture which caused the revival of 
classical forms. Thus the Sienese church may be regarded 
as the most complete and interesting example of Pointed 
building in Tuscany.] 

The foundation of the church dates from some uncertain 
time in the first half of the thirteenth century ; the cupola 
was finished in 1264 ; at the eastern end of the church the 
choir was extended and finished in 1370 ; at its western 
end two bays were added to the nave in 1372-1377^ the 
campanile above the level of the aisle is ascribed to the 
same period. Hence while the central parts of nave^ choir 
and transepts belong to the middle of the thirteenth 
century^ the eastern end of the church and the western 
facade are due to the latter part of the fourteenth. At 
Orvieto the fa9ade of the Duomo was built before the west 
end of the Sienese Duomo, but the two fagades have so 
much in common that a comparison is perhaps the most 
enlightening way to approach either. 

Looking at the fa9ade at Orvieto it is evident that the 
perpendicular element has been preserved so as to give 
definite character ; at Siena the horizontal and per- 
pendicular lines of the fa9ade are almost equal in im- 
portance, hence the surface is divided into a series of 
triangles and squares having little organic relation. 

The proportion between the width and height of the 
two fa9ades is not strikingly different; the effect at Siena is, 
however, less satisfying, mainly on account of the heavy 
design of the side buttresses or towers. A similar want of 
distinction occurs in the three doorways of the western 
fa9ade at Siena ; they are so nearly similar that the eye 
is not arrested ; they fail to add special character and 
individuality as at Orvieto, where a difference of proportion 
and form between the arches and gables of the side and 
central entrances is a decisive element in the entire design. 




Photograph : Brogi 

FACADE OF THE DUOMO, ORVIETO 
Compare with the facade of the Duorao, Siena 



SIENA 273 

Both the buildings are interesting examples of the use of 
colour in architectural design. At Orvieto the effect is 
due to mosaic ; at Siena to the use of rich and variously 
coloured marbles. At Siena the detail of cusped and 
crocketed arcading, of pinnacles, of twisted columns, of- 
niches and gables is more oppressive than at Orvieto, 
where there is the relief of broad fiat surface. 

If the Sienese were led by religious exaltation, devotion ■ 
to the Virgin, and civic pride, to a lavish use of rich 
material, and to unrestrained indulgence in decorative 
detail, their Duomo is none the less interesting as an 
example of the standard of value by which the Republicans 
of a Tuscan city in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries 
desired to measure the glory of their State. 

The Fagade. On the marble pavement in front of the 
western doors there is an inlaid group, the Pharisee and 
the Publican; to l., a vase is marked '^fel" (gall); to the r., 
another, " lac " (milk). The pillars of the central door 
are carved in the style of those on the western fagade 
at Pisa ; the design, however, is bolder and coarser in 
execution. 

On the lintel, over the central door, the following scenes 
are carved : — 

(i) The rejection of Joachim's offering. 

^2) The angel gives the message to Anna. 

(3) Birth of the Virgin. 

(4) Presentation in the Temple. 

In the tymipanum is the monogram of S. Bernardino. 
On the string course level with the pinnacles of the gables 
are the symbols of the Evangelists. Within the gables, 
over the doors, are busts of the Dominican, Ambrogio 
Sansedoni (thirteenth century); the Beato Giovanni 
Colombini (fourteenth century) ; and the Beato Andrea 
Gallerani (thirteenth century), each of local celebrity. 

There are many sculptured figures, mainly on the 
northern tower. They are sculptured in the round ; 
they are on a large scale ; they have the atmosphere of a 
fine tradition. The work is in marked contrast to the 



274 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

sculpture on the piers at Orvieto, where the scale is small 
and in relief. The determining influence of Siena has 
been assigned to Giovanni Pisano, who was connected 
with the building of the Duomo between 1284 and 1298. 
He is also supposed to have designed the fa9ade^ but it 
must be remembered that, whatever his connection with 
it may have been, the building of the western end of the 
church was not carried out till fifty years after his death. 

Passing round to the southern flank of the church, over 
the entrance door at the foot of the bell tower, there is a 
relief of Madonna and Child by a fellow-sculptor or pupil 
of Donatello, It represents a woman of middle age, grave 
in demeanour, with strong features and defined character. 
From this door we see the walls of the uhfinished nave. 
In 1339 a plan for the enlargement of the Duomo, made 
by Lando di Pietro, was agreed upon, and the work was 
begun in 1340. It was intended to build a new nave, 
leaving the existing nave and choir to form the transept 
of the new church. Work was carried on between the 
years 1340 and 1356, when the effects of the plague and 
the discouragement due to faults in the building brought 
the scheme to an end. Some idea of its intended rich- 
ness may be gained from the doorway leading from the 
Via Monna Agnese into what was to have been the nave. 
Its jambs, the crocketed gable, the pinnacles, and -all 
other detail are in the most florid manner of the pointed 
Italian style. In the tympanum Christ holds an open 
book, with angels in adoration at each side. Above, in the 
gable, is a figure of the Lamb. 

The Interior.* The statement is generally made that 
the interior was finished in 1267 — that is, about ten years 
before the present Church of S. Maria Novella in Florence 
was begun. This date of 1267 refers only to the central 
parts of the church, including the dome. The choir to 
the east and the nave to the west were lengthened in 
1370-13S0 ; the design of the older part of the building 
was not strictly adhered to, but the difference is not suffi- 
cient to mar the general effect. 




Photograph : /. W. CniicksJiank 

WINDOW FROM THE DUOMO, PISA 

Compare with windows in the pointed style in the Duomo and the 

Palaces at Siena 



SIENA 275 

Between the years 1257 and 1289 one of the Cistercian 
monks of S. Galgano generally acted as operaio del Du- 
omo ; it has been supposed that the church owes its form 
to their influence. Except, however, in the square form 
of the east end, it is difficult to trace any close resemblance 
between the interior at Siena and the usual type^of Cister- 
cian churches. 

The Sienese interior does not follow any of the accepted 
types usual in Tuscany. There is no attempt to use the 
pointed style as it was understood north of the Alps, nor 
as we see it adapted by the Cistercians at S. Galgano, or 
by the architects of S. Maria Novella at Florence ; nor 
is there any attempt to conform to a classical ideal, as in 
the colonnade of the nave at Pisa. The general effect of the 
round arches and the manner of the capitals recall memories 
of traditional Romanesque forms ; the grouping of pillars 
and the intersection of vaultings suggest the complexity of 
a French interior. The cornices of the nave, Marrina's 
sculptures and many of the monuments add something 
of the lightness and grace of the fifteenth century, while 
parts of the detail of the high altar and the pictures at the 
eastern end of the church belong to the grandiose style 
which followed. It is a remarkable tribute to the quality 
of the Italian mind that all these various tendencies should 
seem to find their natural place and should have been 
wrought into such a beautiful w^hole. Most visitors are 
probably filled wdth dismay at the first sight of the striped 
masonry ; it shows how fine is the art, that such a startling 
use of colour very soon appears to fall in harmoniously 
with the general plan. The charm of the interior is 
probably due to the tendency to reproduce the idiosyn- 
crasy of the designers of the age, rather than to use the 
correct or accepted forms of this or that school. The 
building expresses individuality rather than professional 
skill ; it is something proper to the place and circum- 
stance. The great Tuscan churches of the thirteenth and 
fourteenth centuries illustrate the personal and unaca- 
demic quality of the Italian genius of the period. The 



276 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Duomo of Pisa^ the facade of S. Martino at Lucca^ the 
Duomo of Arezzo and this church of Siena each has its own 
distinctive character^ its own pecuhar quaUty. 

The nave, aisles, transepts and choir are vaulted 
throughout ; this prevents any fruitful comparison of the 
interiors art Siena and Orvieto, as the nave of the latter 
has a wooden roof. The floor is decorated with designs 
in sgraffito or inlays in coloured marble. Everywhere 
the material is of fine quality. 

The round arches of the nave arcade spring from square 
piers with engaged circular columns. There is no tri- 
forium, and the nave arcade rises to the height usually 
occupied by arcade and triforium, thus giving a general 
sense of spaciousness. Above the arches of the nave there 
is a cornice supported by corbels ; between these are 
busts of the popes, attributed to the beginning of the 
fifteenth century. Above the cornice is a clerestory with 
pointed windows of three lights. 

Standing within the Duomo of Siena we realise the col- 
lective effort that such a building implies. We can under- 
stand the tenacity of purpose, the intellectual vigour, the 
imaginative energy that led generation after generation 
to deny themselves, that so great a thing might be accom- 
plished. 

Begin the detailed examination of the interior at the 
central door at the west end of the church. This door is 
flanked by richly carved columns of Renaissance character 
made in 1483. On the bases are reliefs by Urbano da 
Cortona, On the base to the l., Meeting of Joachim and 
Anna, Madonna bidding farewell to the Apostles, Assump- 
tion of Madonna. On the base to the r.. Coronation of 
Madonna, her Birth and Death. On the lintel, scenes from 
the life of S. Ansano. 

The stained-glass window above represents the Last 
Supper, from designs by Pterino delta Vaga (1549), executed 
by Pastorino. 

Opposite the central door are two holy water vases, by 
Antonio Federighi, a pupil of Jacopo della Querela. To the 



SIENA 277 

L., the design rests on cherubs standing on dragons, the 
vase being supported by eagles ; to the r., the vase rests on 
dragons and tortoises, with four ungraceful nude figures. 
Note the carving on the vases. 

Eight Aisle. At the western end is the seated statue 
of Paul V. (Borghese). On the floor of this aisle there are 
figures of five Sibyls — prophetesses who foretold the Incar- 
nation and Redemption to the non- Jewish world. They 
were made by Sienese artists at the end of the fifteenth 
century. 

Above the entrance door in this aisle there is an in- 
scription relating to the vision of the Sienese Pietro 
Petinaio, a Franciscan tertiary. 

On the wall beyond the door, the tomb of Tommaso 
Piccolomini, Bishop of Pienza, 1483, by Neroccio Landini 
(1437-1503). Beneath are six reliefs in the style of the 
Renaissance, by Urbano da Cortona, r., Joachim with 
his flocks, Meeting of Joachim and Anna, Annunciation 
to Anna ; l., Joachim's offering rejected. Annunciation 
to Mary, Death of Madonna. 

On the pillars near by are flagstafis which are supposed 
to have formed part of the Florentine carroccio at the 
battle of Monteaperto. 

Southern Transept. The Cappella del Voto, or Chapel of 
Madonna delle Grazie, was built by Alexander VII. (Fabio 
Chigi) in 1661. It was before Madonna delle Grazie that 
the leaders of the Sienese people, embracing each other, 
devoted the city to the Virgin Mary, in preparation for the 
battle of Monteaperto. 

The chapel is richly decorated with gilding and precious 
material ; the marble columns supporting the cornice 
came from S. Paolo without the walls, of Rome. The 
statues of Mary Magdalen and S. Jerome are by Bernini, 
The work as a whole is an interesting example of the 
Barocco style. 

In the southern transept are two seated statues of 
Sienese popes, Alexander III. (Orlando Bandinelli, the 
antagonist of Barbarossa) and Alexander VII. (Fabio 



278 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Chigi^ of the family of Agostino Chigi^ the banker of 
Leo X. and the friend of Raphael). 

In the Chapel of the Sacrament in the angle between the 
transept and choir are bas-relief s^ S. Paul and the Four 
Evangelists. 

The Choir. The high altar was designed by Peruzzi, 
and the work was executed about 1532. The large bronze 
tabernacle is by Vecchietta ; the angels^ two at each side^ 
are by Francesco di Giorgio and Giovanni di San Stefano. 
The four angels on each side of the choir are by Beccafumt, 
The figure of the Risen Christ is by Fulvio Signorini. The 
reading desk was made by Riccio in the sixteenth century. 
The pictures on the wall at the eastern end of the choir 
include : Pope Gregory VII. blessing the city of Siena ; the 
Fall of Manna ; the Assumption of the Virgin ; Queen 
Esther before Ahasuerus ; S. Catherine of Siena^ with 
saints. The stained glass in the eastern window repre- 
sents the Death of the Virgin^ her Assumption^ and Corona- 
tion ; at the corners^ the Four Evangelists ; at the sides 
of the Assumption the four Sienese saints. 

Chapel of S. Ansano^ in the angle between the choir 
and the northern transept. Altar-piece^ S. Ansano in the 
act of baptising the people of Siena, by VoMni. On the 
side walls, bas-reliefs by a scholar of Niccolo Pisano, re- 
moved from the Church of Ponte alio Spino ; the Annun- 
ciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Magi. The hand 
of this artist was still limited by Romanesque tradition. 
On the pavement is a bronze relief, by Donatello, on the 
tomb of Bishop Giovanni Pecci (d. 1426). The figure is 
that of a young man with mild and genial expression. 

In the northern transept are statues of Sienese popes, 
Pius 11. (iEneas Sylvius Piccolomini) (1458-1464) and 
Pius III. (Francesco Todeschini) (1503). 

On the western wall of the northern transept, high 
above the spectator, is the tomb of Cardinal Petroni 
(d. 1314)^ by Ttno da Camaino, The sarcophagus rests on 
a heavy basement supported by corbels. In the centre, 
Christ rises from the tomb ; to the spectator's l. is the 



SIENA 279 

Noli me tangere ; to the r., the doubt of Thomas is satis- 
fied. Above the sarcophagus the full-length figure is 
partially hidden by curtains held aside by angels. The 
monument is finished by an arcading under which stands 
Madonna and Child, attended by SS. Peter and Paul. 

The Cardinal founded several monastic buildings in and 
about Siena, and was popular as a prudent and liberal 
prelate. 

From the northern transept enter the Chapel of S. John 
the Baptist. Note the portal with delicate marble reliefs 
by Marrina. Within is a statue of S. John the Baptist, 
made by Donatello in 1457 ; the scroll suggests the preacher; 
the rude garment, the dweller in the wilderness ; the spare 
limbs, the ascetic. The figure is of the same type as the 
Magdalen in the Florentine baptistery and the S. John in 
Venice. The statue of S. Ansano is by Giovanni di 
Stefano ; that of S. Catherine of Alexandria by Neroccio. 

The small font in the centre of the chapel is carved with 
reliefs attributed to Jacopo delta Quercia, but probably 
later in date ; Creation of Adam ; Creation of Eve ; the 
Temptation ; the Fall ; God communing with Adam and 
Eve ; the Expulsion ; Hercules slaying the Nemean 
Lion(?) ; Hercules slaying the Centaur.. 

On the walls of the chapel are frescoes. Five have been 
attributed to Pinturicchio — viz. two from the life of Arrigo 
Aringhieri, the donor, and three from the life of S. John the 
Baptist — his birth, life in the wilderness, and his preach- 
ing (the two latter have also been ascribed to Peruzzi). 
All bear the hall mark of the Umbrian school. There is no 
attempt at realism. A genial imagination has suffused 
the pictures with a glow of well-being, with a sunny 
atmosphere, and a mild sentiment. 

On turning into the northern aisle the first section of 
wall is covered with an elaborate Renaissance decoration, 
having for its centre the doorway into the library. The 
work is ascribed to Marrina, the most competent of the 
sculptors after the time of della Quercia in this kind of 
design (compare his work in the Church of Fontegiusta and 



28o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

S. Martino). In the tympana of the arches the Piccolomini 
arms are supported by putti. On the friezes are griffins and 
sea-horses ; the pillars and jambs are decorated with de- 
licate carving. Under the arch to the r. of the door^ bas- 
relief of S. John composing his gospel. To the l. of the 
door is a sma,ll monument to Bandino Bandini ; above is 
a small figure of the Risen Christ. 

In the arch above^ PinturiccMo has painted the Corona- 
tion of Cardinal Francesco Todeschini (nephew of Pius II.) 
as Pope Pius III^ 

On the wall of the next bay is the monument of the 
Cardinal Francesco (Pius III.); ascribed to Andrea Fusina 
in 1485. The general design shows the tendency to the 
grandiose and formal conceptions which became popular 
in the early part of the sixteenth century. 

A semi-dome springing from heavy pilasters encloses 
an altar ; above the semi-dome rises another ornate design 
with three niches ; in the centre stands Madonna with the 
Child ; to the spectator's l.^ S. Peter. Within the niches in 
the pilasters below are statues — Popes Pius and Gregory ; 
the Apostle James and S. Francis. Without apparent 
justification^ the statues of SS. Peter^ James and the two 
popes have been ascribed to Michelangelo. 

Over the altar^ Madonna and Child on a gold back- 
ground in the Sienese manner ; above^ a marble relief ^ 
three angels making music. 

Passing down the northern aisle the statue of Marcellus 
II. (1555) is placed against the western wall. 

The Pulpit.* Niccolo Pisano was called to Siena to 
make a pulpit for the Duomo by the Cistercian operaio del 
DuomO; Fra Melano. The commission is dated 29th 
September 1266. Niccolo brought with him his pupils or 
assistants^ Arnolfo and Lapo^ and it is generally assumed 
that his son Giovanni was also engaged in the work. 

In 1260 Niccolo had made the pulpit for the Pisan 
baptistery. The difference between that work and the 
Sienese pulpit illustrates a change of outlook and habit. 
Romanesque sculptors in Italy had constantly kept the 



SIENA 281 

standard of classical art before them; and the rude carving 
of the eleventh century gradually grew into the compara- 
tively cultivated work of the twelfth^ until early in the 
thirteenth century the sculpture of the Antelami at 
Parma reaches a high degree of excellence based on classical 
feeling. This classical tendency w^as carried to still finer 
realisation in the work of Niccolo Pisano at Lucca and 
Pisa. In the Sienese pulpit^ on the other hand^ the w^ork 
is penetrated throughout by the romantic spirit. 

In its general effect the Sienese pulpit is perhaps the 
most picturesque of all the Tuscan examples. Niccolo 
and his assistants were no pedants ; they were not bound 
by the code of any style. They plant their pillars on the 
backs of lions, as did their Romanesque predecessors ; they 
cusp their arches in the Pointed manner. Much of the detail 
is inspired by classical models, yet the whole is distinctly 
personal, untraditional and Italian. A comparison with 
the Pisan design will show a tendency to increasing com- 
plexity. 

Begin with the panel of the Nativity, To the l. is a 
veiled figure standing apart from the panel, a fine example 
of restraint and gravity. Within the panel the story 
begins with the Visitation. To the r. of this Madonna raises 
herself on her arm to watch the women w^ho wash the 
Child ; in the Visitation she is middle-aged and of a formal 
type. Here, her features are regular, her expression is 
gentle, her hair is formally dressed like a Roman empress, 
but she has little of the classical majesty of the Pisan 
Madonna. The angels who sing the Gloria in excelsis 
above the crib in which the Child lies have exchanged a 
classical air for an emotional expression. 

To the R. of the Nativity is a dull and heavy male figure 
bearing a book. Beneath, on the capital, is a figure of Hope, 

The panel of the Adoration of the Magi is narrative in 
character ; the whole circumstance of travel takes its 
course in the lower part of the panel, returning in the 
upper part so as to bring the kings before the Child. 
The horses, camels, dogs, attendants are all realistically 



282 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

rendered ; the love of landscape is seen in the trees carved 
in the background. 

To the R. of the panel at the corner is a fine figure of 
Madonna and Child. The style is broad and free ; there is 
the elasticity of youth ; the features are strong and ex- 
tremely simple. Comparing this figure with the Madonna 
in the Adoration in the Pisan baptistery^ there is the change 
from a formal type to the natural woman ; but so subtly 
has the change been wrought that there is no loss of 
monumental dignity and elevation. It is blended with 
the charm of the tender-hearted and loving mother. 
Beneath Madonna is a figure representing Fortitude. 

The Presentation and Flight into Eg3^t. The summary 
treatment of the Presentation cannot compare with the 
magnificent scene at Pisa ; it is sacrificed to the repre- 
sentation of the Court of Herod in the upper part of the 
picture. The latter forms a fine group ; two of the figures 
in the second row stand out as peculiarly characteristic. 
On the spandrils of the arch^ the Evangelists John and 
Matthew^ with their symbols. 

To the R. of the Presentation^ at the corner^ a group of 
angels blow trumpets ; and beneath^ on the capital^ a 
crowned and veiled figure of Faith. 

Massacre of the Innocents. — This subject is not repre- 
sented in the Pisan baptistery^ but it occurs in the pulpits 
made at a later period by Giovanni Pisano for the Duomo 
at Pisa and for S. Andrea at Pistoia. Herod sits with his 
assessors in the upper left-hand corner ; the soldiers slay 
with more than official energy. Neither the ferocity nor 
the convulsive passion are treated convincingly. This 
scene of moral chaos has seldom if ever inspired an Italian 
artist to any supreme effort. On the spandrils of the 
arches below are the Evangelists; Luke and Mark, with their 
symbols. The figure at the corner to the R. is that of 
Christ standing on the asp and the basilisk ; above is the 
Dove and the Hand of God ] at the sides are busts ; and 
behind; the seven candlesticks. On the capital beneath 
is the figure of Charity. 




Photograph : J. \V . CniickshanTz 

FIGURE OF THE "CHURCH" 
(By the Pisan School, on the Fountain at Perugia) 
Compare with the Sculpture on the pulpits at Pisa and Siena 



SIENA 283 

The Crucifixion. Following the Pisan sculp ture^ the 
Disciples are placed on one side of the crosS; the Jews 
on the other. The skull of the first Adam lies at the foot 
of the cross. The sponge-bearer appears^ and to the r. an 
angel dismisses the " synagogue" ; to the l.^, another angel 
presents the " church." The figure on the cross approaches 
the type of the fourteenth century^ contrasting with the 
more classical form at Pisa ; the cruciform nimbus is 
jewelled. 

The composition at the corner forms the reading desk ; 
it is a union of the symbols of the Four Evangelists. The 
angel of Matthew has above it the ox and the buU^ and over 
these the eagle supports the book. The crowned figure 
beneath bears a scroll. 

The Judgment. The two last panels are filled with the 
ranks of the blessed and the damned ; between them Christ 
is seated on high^ His right hand raised towards the one^ 
His left lowered towards the other. To the R. of the last 
panel the angels blow the trumpets of the Resurrection. 
The figure seated on the capital at the corner is probably 
Justice. 

The centre pillar rests on the figures of the seven 
liberal arts — viz. Grammar^ Dialectic^ Rhetoric^ Arith- 
metic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy ; together with Phil- 
osophy. 

The Virtues placed on the capitals at the corners of the 
pulpit are worthy of attention ; massive rather than ele- 
gant, these figures are treated with unusual simplicity. 
The sculptor was not sensitive to beauty of the conven- 
tional kind, but his outlook was fresh and his hand was 
vigorous ; these characteristics are also noticeable in the 
group of the arts. 

The hall now known as the library opens out of the 
northern aisle ; it was built in 1495 ^o^ ^^^ Cardinal Fran- 
cesco Todeschini (Pius III.). Pinturicchio was employed 
to paint frescoes on the walls. Every inch of surface is 
covered with brilliant decoration ; every artifice of Renais- 
sance skill has been used to magnify the life of Pius II., 



2 84 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and through it the family pride of the Piccolomini It 
was common for popes at the end of the fifteenth and the 
begmnmg of the sixteenth centuries to celebrate them- 
selves m works of art. Alexander VI. associated the 
memorial of his papacy with Christian tradition in the 
Borgia apartments ; Julius 11. and Leo X. had them- 
selves painted as actors in events long since past in which 
their predecessors had magnified the Roman bishopric 
or controlled the fate of nations. It remained for the Picco- 
bmini family to use the commonplace events in the life 
of one of its members, as if they supposed such incidents 
could add lustre to the papacy. Pinturicchio painted ten 
frescoes, m which the eye is wearied by harsh contrasts and 
garish colour, while the mind is fatigued by the conven- 
tional treatment of petty matters. 

Works nearly contemporary with this wall decoration 
occur m the Sistine Chapel, in the Stanze at the Vatican, 
m the Sala del Cambio at Perugia, and in the Borgia apart- 
ments at the Vatican (painted mainly under the direction 
of Pinturicchio). Interesting points of contact and con- 
trast will occur to the visitor. 

Begin at the window. 

(i) ^neas Sylvius Piccolomini sets out for the Council 
of Basel m the suite of Cardinal Capranica. 

(2) iEneas appears before James II. of Scotland. 

(3) ^neas receives the laurel crown from the Emperor 
Frederick III. 

(4) ^neas appears before Pope Eugenius IV. on behalf 
of the Emperor. 

(5) ^neas assists at the meeting of the Emperor 
Frederick III. with his bride, Eleanora of Portugal, at the 
Camellia Gate. 

(6) ^neas receives the Cardinal's hat from Pope Calix- 
tus III. m the Sistine Chapel. 

(7) ^neas is acclaimed as Pope in the Church of S. John 
Lateran. 

(8) Pius 11. at the Council of Mantua. 

(9) Pius II. canonises Catherine of Siena. 




Hhotograph : Anderson 

"ARITHMETIC" 

(A Figure from the Hall of the Liberal Arts, Vatican) 

Compare with the frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Library of the Diicmo, 

Siena 



SIENA 285 

(10) Pius II. at Ancona preparing for a crusade against 
the Turks. 

Under the pictures there is a collection of fine choir 
books. Beginning near the window, under the first and 
second frescoes, in four examples, the miniatures are by 
Liberale da Verona ; the next is by Sano da Ptetro ; then 
follow several examples by Girolamo da Cremona, 

On the other side, the book nearest the wdndow is illu- 
minated by Boccardino ; the two next are by Pellegrino 
da Mariano ; and the sixth in order by CozzarelH. 

Over the entrance door there is a copy of the panel 
originally made by Jacopo della Querela for the Fonte 
Gaja, representing the Expulsion. 

In the centre of the room is a group of the Three Graces. 

Betw^een the windows, a bronze figure of Christ in Resur- 
rection, by Fulvio Signorini. 

In the Sala Capitolare, over the door, bust of Alex- 
ander VII. by Bernini. The pictures are : Madonna and 
Child, with SS. Sebastian and Rocco, by Pacchiarotto ; 
S. Bernardino preaching in the Campo and in front of 
S. Francesco ; S. Bernardino by Vecchietta. In the sacristy 
there are remains of fourteenth-century frescoes. 

The Pavement. The scheme of the subjects of the 
designs, worked out in coloured marbles, or drawn in black 
outlines upon grey or white marble, in its wide scope 
and allegorical expression resembles some of the great 
fourteenth-century monuments, such as the Campanile in 
Florence, and the Fountain of Perugia. The scheme is 
said to have been drawn out by Duccio, but there is no 
record of any work done before 1369, about fifty years after 
his death. 

The following suggestion of the general significance of 
the design is based upon other mediaeval examples, similar 
in scope, but it is probable that more than one interpre- 
tation was intended : — 

Outside of the door we are reminded of the necessity 
of humility and sincerity. Inside there is a gradual pro- 
gression from the entrance up to the choir, presenting a 
u 



286 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

picture of mankind living at first only under the guidance 
of natural reason^ pursuing virtue^ and dimly foreseeing 
a day of fuller enlightenment. This is followed by the 
history of the coming of Christ foreshadowed in the life of 
His servants and prophets^ culminating in the three typical 
sacrifices round the altar. At the back of the altar is a 
personification of Mercy^ and; in front of the steps^ the Fall 
of Adam and Eve shows how redemption was made neces- 
sary. 

On the pavement outside of the doors are two large 
figures of the Pharisee and the Publican. On the threshold 
of the three doors (much worn) are the rites of ordination 
for a priest; a deacon^ and a bishop. 

The designs of the nave present the ideal of tem- 
poral felicity depending upon virtuous life and good 
government. As a rule^ this part of the pavement is 
protected by boarding. 

The first figure^ nearest to the door^ is Hermes Mercurius 
TrismegistuS; the mythical inventor of the Sciences and the 
ArtS; and a contemporary of Moses. Here he represents 
the search for understanding; by means of natural powers. 
Then follows an emblem of Siena; surrounded by symbols 
of neighbouring townS; her allies ; succeeded (in the centre 
of the nave) by two allegorical designS; the Pursuit of 
Wisdom and Virtue; and the Contempt of Fortune. 

On the floor of the aisles are the Ten Sibyls (almost 
always uncovered) foretelling the coming of the golden 
age and of a redeeming God; who should also be the 
Judge. 

The floor of the transeptS; the crossing and the choir 
are covered with scenes from the Old Testament regarded 
as typical of the story of the New. They are so chosen 
that the history of Christ's life on earth is represented under 
a veil in the acts and deeds of His servants in the Old Dis- 
pensation. Christ fasted in the wildernesS; taught His 
disciples and raised the dead; in the person of His prophet 
Elijah (represented under the crossing). He was betrayed 
in Absalom and Samson (south transept.) He saved His 



SIENA 287 

people in Judith (north transept). The Massacre of the 
Innocents was the martyrdom of His saints (north tran- 
sept). He was transfigured in Moses^ and He conquered 
the devil when David slew Goliath (in the choir). He led 
His people in Joshua (ambulatory of the choir). He was 
slain in Abel (l. of the altar) ; was offered for sacrifice in 
Isaac (under the altar). His sacrifice itself was figured in the 
offering of Melchizedek (r. of the altar). Within the apse 
is a figure of Mansuetudo or Mercy. In front; the Fall of 
Adam and Eve. At the four corners of the altar are the 
four Cardinal Virtues. The figure of the Emperor Sigis- 
mund enthroned; in the middle of the south transept, has 
apparently no connection with this symbolical scheme. 

The work; extending over several centurieS; was executed 
by many hands. Artists of repute were engaged to make 
designs. Among the names are those of Pietro del Minella 
(Absalom's story; 1391-1485) ; Antonio Fedenghi (the 
Ages of Man and the Relief of Bethulia) ; Matteo 
di Giovanni (Massacre of the InnocentS; 1435 - 1482) ; 
Pinturicchio (1454-1513) (Allegories); Beccafumi (i486- 
1551). Stories of Elijah; of Moses. The Three Sacrifices. 
The Fall of Adam and Eve. 

There is a complete plan of the pavement in the Opera 
del Duomo. 

The Opera del Duomo 

Opposite to the entrance in the southern transept of the 
Duomo. The custodian is generally in attendance from 
nine until midday. 

On the ground floor is a large hall containing many 
fragments from the outside and inside of the Duomo. 

Turn to the l. 

In the first bay is an ancient sarcophagus. 

(149 and 151) The Annunciation; by Urbano da Cortona. 
(90) The statue of a prophet; one of six large figures from 
the fagade. 

Second bay. The front of a sarcophagus; with hippo- 
campi. An angel; in painted gessO; by Cozzarelli, 



288 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Third bay. Busts from the fagade. Also carved panels 
with the head of a prophet and of Medusa framed in 
foliage, by a scholar of Niccolo Pisano. (ii) Statue of a 
bishop. 

Fourth bay. Fragments of Madonna and Child under 
niches. (107) Panels carved by a pupil of Niccolo 
Pisano, with a veiled woman, probably the Old Law, 
surrounded by the four evangelical symbols. 

The statue of a bull from the fagade. Along the wall 
are similar statues and busts from the fagade. 

Against the end wall are some casts, and the original 
mosaic, by Federighi, of the Ages of Man, now replaced by 
a copy in the south transept pavement. 

On the window wall, capitals and painted wooden 
statues. 

In the second -bay. A portrait bust in terra-cotta of 
S. Brandano, the prophet of Siena. Below is an inscription 
announcing that either Paradise or Hell is the future abode 
of every man ; to do well is to inherit the one, to do evil 
is to inherit the other. 

Along the wall are more busts and statuettes, some in the 
Pisan style. 

In the end bay is the original mosaic for the Duomo 
pavement, representing Siena and her allies, symbolised as 
animals. 

On the first floor are designs for the building of the 
Duomo, and also a complete plan of the pavement, which 
enables one to see the different styles of the various artists 
employed. 

The second floor. Near the top of the stairs is a picture 
of the Ascension. 

On the landing, a number of small scenes, by Matteo di 
Giovanni : the Martyrdom of S. John ; S. Nicholas throw- 
ing a dowry into the house of three poor maidens ; the 
Resurrection of Christ ; scene from the life of S. Gregory ; 
S. Jerome taking a thorn out of a lion's paw. 

Over the entrance door, S. Paul enthroned, by Beccafumi, 

Enter the large hall. Turn to the r. ' 



SIENA 289 

(57) Assumption of Madonna, by Gregorio. 

(35) Madonna and Child in painted gesso. 

Four panels, part of a series illustrating the Creed, by 
Taddeo Bartolo, 

In the centre of the hall, the front of the great altar- 
piece * which was painted by Duccio di Buoninsegna for the 
Duomo in 131 1, during the rule of the Lords Nine. It was 
carried with public rejoicings in procession to the Duomo ; 
and on the steps prayer was offered to the Virgin imploring 
that she would deign to enter her house. The picture was 
removed in 1472 to make room for the bronze tabernacle ; 
it has been sawn in two to separate the pictures on the 
back and front. 

The front consists of one great panel representing 
Madonna enthroned, surrounded by a host of angels and 
saints, a manifestation of the '^ Love that governs earth 
and sea and has also commandments to the heavens." 
In the foreground kneel the patron saints of the city, 
Savinus, Ansanus, Crescentius and Victor, praying for 
the help of Madonna, doing homage to her as the protectress 
and suzerain of the commune. In the row behind, on the 
R., are SS. John the Baptist, Peter and Agnes ; on the l., 
SS. John, Paul and Catherine. 

The distribution of the figures is formal and symmetrical^ 
Madonna being the centre towards which all are drawn. 
The women are not beautiful ; the men have no virile force. 
In this communion of Saints intellectual pre-eminence and 
passion of ecstasy are alike wanting ; there is no community 
of feeling nor joy in salvation. All such things would 
have been without point for the artist's purpose. He 
wishes to represent beings already beyond the shadow of 
earth, free from all trace of mundane existence. Each soul 
is intent on the eternal life of the saints. " The tumult 
of the flesh is hushed, hushed the images of earthr and 
waters and air, hushed also the poles of heaven, yea, the 
very soul is hushed^ to herself, so that she may rise above 
the highest delight of the earthly senses." 

Duccio desired to represent a state of the soul : he uses 



290 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

rigidity, asceticism^ severe convention as his method. 
From the day that the picture was carried to the Duomo 
until now, the opinion of most men has been that he did 
well. 

The back of the altar was composed of scenes from the 
life of Christ, divided into twenty-six compartments, and 
there are besides eighteen panels which formed part of the 
great Ancona. They are not arranged in chronological 
order. 

Beginning on the r. (28) The Apostles miraculously 
summoned to say farewell to the Virgin. 

(23) The Burial of the Virgin. (27) Christ appears to 
His Disciples seated at table. 

(25) Christ teaching His Disciples. 

(24) Death of the Virgin. (26) Annunciation to the 
Virgin of her approaching death. 

On the second line, (32) Thomas resolves his doubts. 
(22) Christ and the Apostles. (39) Christ receives the 
soul of His mother. (29) Descent of the Holy Spirit. 
(30) Peter walks on the sea. (33) The Virgin carried to 
burial by the Apostles. 

On the upper line. The Presentation of Christ in the 
Temple. (34) Adoration of the Magi. Christ among the 
Doctors. The Massacre of the Innocents. The Flight 
into Egypt. The Supper at Cana. 

Farther on are the twenty-six scenes of the Passion, 
Begin with the Entry into Jerusalem in the lowest left 
corner. Follow along the two lower rows, first the upper 
and then the lower panel in each division : the Washing 
of the Feet ; the Last Supper ; Judas receiving Payment ; 
Jesus and the Eleven ; the Betrayal ; the Agony in the 
Garden ; Christ before Ananias ; Peter's Denial ; the 
Buffeting ; Christ before Caiaphas ; Pilate appeals to the 
Jews ; Christ before Pilate. 

Upper rows, l. corner. Christ before Plate ; Christ 
before Herod ; the Flagellation ; the Crowning with 
Thorns ; the Bearing of the Cross ; Pilate washing his 
Hands; the Crucifixion; the Entombriient; the De- 




PJiotograph : AUnari 

HEAD OF MADONNA 

(Bv Giotto. From the Arena Chapel, Padua) 

Compare with detail of the Aharpiece by Duccio in the Opera del Duomo, 

Siena 



1 



SIENA 291 

position ; the Maries at the Tomb ; the Descent into 
Hades ; the Journey to Emmaus ; the NoU me Tangere. 

In these small panels, as in the large picture of Madonna 
enthroned, the subjects are treated as mysteries. There is 
nothing to bring the thought down to the level of human 
everyday life ; there are few incidental episodes. There 
is great delicacy of finish, and richness of ornament and 
originality ; there must have been extraordinary brilliance 
of colouring. 

Above these pictures are the crimson standards carried 
on the carroccio at the battle of Monteaperto. 

Below the pictures is an elaborately sewn altar-front. 
Passing the door of entrance to the next room, above 
another embroidered altar-front is (62) S. Francis ap- 
pearing to S. Antony while preaching, by Giovanni di 
Paolo, 

(63) Nativity of the Virgin, by Pietro Lorenzettij dated 
1324, much damaged, but interesting from the matter-of- 
fact detail introduced. 

On the window wall there are three fine embroidered 
paliottos. Above these are eight panels, by Pietro Lor en- 
zetti, illustrating the Finding of the True Cross. Begin 
to the L. (i) The Jews refuse to make known the place 
where the cross is hidden. (2) The Jews, threatened by 
fire, give up Judas, who knew the place of hiding. (3) Judas 
refusing, is put down into a pit. (4) After six days Judas 
repents and points out the place. (5) The testing of the 
True Cross on a sick person. (6) The Jews present the 
cross to the Empress Helena, who wears a veil over her 
head and holds her crown on her knee. (7) The Emperor 
Heraclius, about to carry the cross in triumph into the city, 
is miraculously prevented from entering. (8) He enters 
barefooted, in penitence, carrying the cross. 

In the middle of these panels are four pictures, by Am- 
brogio Lorenzetti, of SS. Francis, Mary Magdalen, Elizabeth, 
and Benedict. 

Close to the door of entrance is an old casket, and above 
it S. Jerome, by Giovanni di Paolo. 



292 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

In the centre of the room is a case with censers^ osten- 
siors, mitreS; golden roses^ etc. 

The room beyond contains vestments and hangings. 
One case has rehquaries ; another has four fine croziers^ 
an Italo-Byzantine crucifix and the papal ring of Pope 
Pius II. 

Opposite to the western fagade of the Duomo are the 
Church and Hospital of S. Maria della Scala. The 

entrance to the church is on the l. 

Over the second altar ^ to the r._, a thirteenth-century 
crucifix. 

Over the high altar^ S. John Baptist^ in bronze^ by Vec- 
chietta ; also two candle-bearing angels. 

In the great hall of the hospital^ which is often occupied 
by patients : — 

On the R. wall. Frescoes by Dom di Bartolo : the 
Marrying of Maidens^, the Giving of Alms^ the Care of the 
Sick, etc. 

On the L. wall. Dom di Bartolo : Granting of Privileges 
by Celestine III. ; a nun takes the habit, by Prtamo di 
Pietro della Quercia; Scala del Parad^so, by Vecchietta, 
etc. 

The Church of S. Maria Sotto I'Ospedale is reached by 
the door at the S.W. corner of the Piazza del Duomo. 
There is a descent of about sixty steps. 

In the chamber beyond the chapel there are remains of 
frescoes, attributed to the Lorenzetti. 

The Sibyl shows the vision of Madonna and Child to the 
Emperor. 

Probably the Emperor carrying the cross, after it was 
found at Jerusalem. 

The Last Judgment, much destroyed. It is still possible 
to see that the figure of Christ must have been fine. 

Opposite to the chapel is the hall belonging to one of the 
civic societies. In it there is a small collection of pictures. 

Saint^ by Pietro di Sano. 



SIENA 293 

S. Catherine brings the Pope to Rome^ by Benvenuto di 
Giovanni. 

Crucifix^ with saints^ by Fungai. 

Madonna and Child^ by Mino da Torrita, 

Deposition^ by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, 

Two small panels, by Matteo di Giovanni, 

Three small pictures, by Lippo Memmi : Madonna and 
Child ; S. Peter ; and S. Paul. 

Madonna enthroned, a small picture by Ambrogio 
Lorenzetti. 

Crucifixion, by Spinello Aretino. 

Crucifixion, with Flagellation and Entombment, ascribed 
to Duccio. 

From the Piazza del Duomo a flight of steps leads to the 
small Church of S. Sebastiano or Chiesa degli Innocenti. 
On a pillar to the r. of the choir. Madonna and Child, by 
Matteo di Giovanni. On a pillar to the l., a small picture by 
Benvenuto di Giovanni. In a side room, the standards and 
costumes of the different contrade, used in the Palio, are 
kept. 

Chiesa di Monna Agnese. Half way up the steep way 
from the baptistery to the Duomo, there is a small church 
to the L. ; it is generally closed, but the sacristan is easily 
available. Within is a statue of wood, painted and gilt, 
representing S. Nicholas of Bari. One hand is raised in 
blessing ; in the other he holds the three balls. The pose is 
natural, although the drapery is heavy and ungracefully 
managed. The Bishop has a good characteristic face, care- 
fully modelled. It is usually ascribed to Neroccio, but it 
has also been claimed for Jacopo della Querela. 

The Baptistery. Turn out of the Via di Citta, pass along 
the Via Pellegrini into the Piazza di S. Giovanni. 

The baptistery was begun in 131 7. The flat and uninter- 
esting fagade is from a design ascribed to Giacomo di Mino 
del Pellicciaio. Above the fagade is seen the eastern end 
of the Duomo. On the pavement in front of the doors 



2 94 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

there are battered remains of mosaic representing Birth, 
Baptism, and Confirmation. 

Interior. The building is vaulted, the altar being set 
under the semi-dome in the western wall. The font stands 
opposite the altar. The general effect of the building 
gains from the lighting, which depends practically on 
windows in the eastern wall or wall of entrance. 
||i The roof is covered with frescoes ascribed to Vecchietta, 
and dated about the middle of the fifteenth century. The 
work has no great artistic value, but the iconography is 
interesting, and the general effect is striking. 

The roof is divided into six vaults : three to the west 
(next to the altar) ; three to the east (next the windows). 

Begin with the western vaults, to the l. of the altar. 

First vault, the first four articles of the Creed, the An- 
nunciation, Flagellation, etc. 

Second vault (over the altar), the fifth, sixth, seventh 
and eighth articles of the Creed, Christ enthroned, Descent 
into Hades, the Last Judgment, etc. 

Third vault, the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth 
articles of the Creed, Christ and Madonna nimbed and 
crowned, the Resurrection, Baptism, Confession, etc. 

Eastern vaults next the windows. 

First vault to the l., SS. Peter, James the Great, 
Andrew, Bartholomew and eight prophets. 

Second vault (over the entrance door), SS. Philip, James 
the Less, John Evangelist, Matthias and eight figures sym- 
bolical of virtues. 

Third vault, SS. Matthew, Thomas, Simon, and Thaddeus, 
etc. 

On the soffits of the arches are patriarchs, prophets, 
sibyls, martyrs, and saints. 

On the semi-dome and the walls of the niche, in which 
the altar stands, are the Crucifixion, by Michele Lam- 
hertini ; and to the r. and l., the Agony in the Garden and 
the Deposition. On the lower range, the Flagellation, and 
the Bearing of the Cross. Altar-piece, Baptism of Christ, 
with the Annunciation. On the face of thearch^ Assump- 



SIENA 295 

tion of Madonna, with immense choirs of angels. Over 
the side altars to the r. and l. of the high altar, Miracles 
of S. Anthony of Padua, attributed to Benvenuto di Gio- 
vanni, 

The font * is one of the distinctive monuments of the 
Italian Renaissance. The commission was given to 
Jacopo della Quercia. 

The font is hexagonal, and above it rises a tabernacle 
with a figure of Christ on the summit. The whole design 
is beautifully proportioned in its parts. The mosaic of the 
steps, the line of blue enamel on the font, the rich effect 
of the reliefs, the stain of rose-colour in the marble taber- 
nacle form a perfect harmony. On each of the six sides 
of the font there is a relief, the whole forming a history of 
the Baptist, (i) Jacopo della Quercia, the appearance of 
the angel to Zacharias at the altar. (2) Turino di Sano 
and Giovanni di Turino, the Birth of S. John. (3) By the 
same artists, S. John in the Wilderness. (4) Relief facing 
the door, by Ghiherti, Baptism of Christ. (5) Ghiherti, 
S. John before Herod. (6) Donatello, Head of S. John 
presented to Herod. 

(2) and (3) The Birth of S. John and his Preaching in 
the wilderness. The style is gracious ; the atmosphere is 
conscious and artificial. Note, for instance, the figure of 
Christ as He approaches the group in the wilderness. 

(6), by Donatello, illustrates his realistic and dramatic 
habit : terrified horror, passionate emotion, wonder, and 
indifference affect each of the personalities after their kind. 
In the fifth panel Ghiberti has carved a violent scene in 
which Herodias alone maintains a gracious calm. S. John 
in rapt exaltation delivers an impersonal denunciation 
rather than an individual condemnation ; the struggling 
group about him is not convincing. 

(4) The Baptism of Christ, by Ghiberti, is worked in 
his most popular style. He is a landscapist using bronze 
as his medium. The figures, pliant in substance, clad in 
fluent draperies, can perhaps be most fairly described as 
elegant. Discrimination in method, correctness in esti- 



296 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

mating the average taste, the search after a kind of per- 
fection which leaves nothing uncared for, placed Ghiberti 
at the head of one of the schools of Florentine sculptors. 

The contrast to all this is found in (i) panel, by 
Jacopo della Querela. His detail is summary ; his forms 
are heavy, uncourtly, perhaps even rude, but there is a 
feeling for mass and a sense of power. He suggests energy 
both mental and physical, instead of the sterile grace of a 
tableau vivant. The figures react on us as representing 
real and active human beings ; their weight and force is 
dynamic. It is no question of nicely modulated attitudes 
and calculated elegancies in careful balance. 

At the corners of the font there are figures in the round. 
Beginning to the l. of (i) panel : Charity, by Turino or 
Giovanni di Turino ; Justice, by the same ; Temperance, 
by the same ; Fortitude, by Goro di Neroccio ; Faith, by 
Donatello ; Hope, by Donatello. 

The sculpture of the tabernacle is attributed to Jacopo 
della Quercia, assisted by Minella. The putti are by 
Donatello. The larger part of the work was done in the 
years 1427 and 1428. 

In the south-western part of the city, 

S. Maria del Carmine. From the end of the Via di 
Citta follow the Via Stalloreggi and turn to the l., along the 
Via Baldassare Peruzzi, in which is situated the Church of 
S. Maria del Carmine. The electric cars start near the 
church. 

The building is of brick, with cloisters by Baldassare 
Peruzzi. Enter by the side door. 

To the R., over the first altar, the Ascension, by Pacchia- 
rotti (1474-1540). 

' Above the second altar, a small Madonna in the Byzan- 
tine style. 

On the opposite wall, near to the west end, a Nativity, 
by Riccio (a follower of Bazzi). 

On the same wall. Assumption of Madonna, by Pietro 
Lorenzettiy with SS.. Catherine of Alexandria, Thomas, and 



SIENA 297 

Lucy. Choirs of angels rise with Madonna^ whose figure is 
much destroyed. 

Other pictures near to this are^ S. Michael, by Beccafumi, 
and a fragment of fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti, 

Chapel of the Sacrament. Nativity , by Bazzi ; a figure 
of God the Father in the arch above, and work in stucco, 
by Marrina. 

Returning to the church, on the wall to the R. of the 
altar. Madonna and Child, perhaps by Guido da Siena. 

Opposite to the church is the Palazzo PoUini, a building 
designed by Baldassare Peruzzi. 

S. Agostino. From the top of the Via di Citta, pass 
down the Via S. Pietro until an open archway is reached ; 
a few yards farther there is a small piazza in w^hich stands 
the Church of S. Agostino. The view eastwards from the 
piazza is exceedingly fine. 

Interior. Over the second altar to the r. is a Crucifixion, 
by PeruginOy a large picture, rich in colour, full of lumin- 
ous and spacious serenity. Above the solitary cross the 
pelican feeds her young, the sun and the moon are dark- 
ened, angels gather the drops of blood from the hands. 
At the foot of the cross SS. Jerome and Augustine kneel. 
SS. John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and Monica 
stand with Madonna. The picture is not of Perugino's 
best, yet it expresses not inaptly the devout emotion 
which regards the sacrifice as part of the Divine ordinance. 

In the chapel which opens out to the r. of the nave is the 
Massacre of the Innocents, by Matteo da Siena. The 
painter, feverishly anxious to insist on the violence and 
cruelty of the scene, only reaches the expression of brutal 
grimace. The habit of the fifteenth century does not 
yield itself naturally to the treatment of such a tragedy. 
Herod is a stage villain, the assessors sitting on either side 
of the throne regard the scene with indifference, while 
children look down from the arches of the gallery with 
tepid curiosity. The altar-piece of this chapel is the 



298 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Adoration of the Magi^ by Bazzi, a crowded composition 
in strong light and shade. The young king is a much- 
admired example of the artist's work. 

In the choir^ scenes from the life of the Blessed Agostino 
Novello; by Lippo Memmi. In a niche on the eastern wall 
of the choir is a statue of Madonna and Child^ painted and 
gilt; and attributed^ probably without foundation^ to 
Jacopo della Querela. 

In the L. transept; wooden statue of S. Niccolo da Tolen- 
tino; by Cozzarelli (1443-1515); a scholar of Francesco di 
Giorgio. Over the third altar^ on the L. wall, is the 
Baptism of Constantine, by Francesco Vanni, 

Via Ricasolij and southern end of the city, 

Palazzo del Governo. One of the finest palaces in Siena, 
in the Via Ricasoli, and close to the Campo. 

Enter the large hall and turn to the r., where there 
is a collection of documents interesting to students of 
Dante. A record of the speech that passed between 
Honorius III. and S. Francis (the confirmation of the order 
by Honorius is recorded in Purg. xi. 98). The donation 
by Cunizza to the counts of Mangona (Cunizza's mother 
was of the house of Mangona). Diploma of Frederick II. 
Codicil of Sapia, widow of Ghinibaldo Saracini (for the 
account of Sapia, see Purg. xiii. 100). Submission of the 
feud of Santafiora by the Aldobrandeschi (for Dante's 
account of the Aldobrandeschi, see Purg. xi. 49-72). Dip- 
loma of Manfred, Nov. 20, 1260, giving Montepulciano to 
Siena (for an account of King Manfred see Purg. iii. 103, 
145). Bull of Pope Urban IV., 1261, approving the rule 
of the order of the Cavalieri di S. Maria known as the 
Frati Gaudenti (see Inf. xxiii. 82, 123). Autograph of 
Brunetto Latini (Inf. xv. 22, 103). Sentence against the 
Florentines, at the instance of the Sienese, signed by Pier 
della Vigne, 1232. Treaty between the Florentine Ghibel- 
lines and Siena in 125 1. 

In the centre cases. Contract of a.d. 736. Gift to the 
Abbey of S. Antimo, confirmed by Louis the Pious, 813. 



SIENA 299 

Others of Louis III. (901)^ Berengarius (915); Otto I. (962), 
Frederick Barbarossa (1158). Bulls of John XV. (992)^ 
Silvester II. (1002), Alexander III. (1177); also signed by 
Frederick Barbarossa. Autograph of Pius II. Agree- 
ment with Niccolo Pisano for the making of the pulpit in 
the Duomo. The testament of Boccaccio and many other 
interesting documents^ including deeds of Ugo^ Marquis of 
Tuscany and the Countess Matilda. The commission for 
the MaestaS; to Duccio ; the commission to Jacopo della 
Querela for the fountain in the Campo ; the Bull of Canon- 
isation for S. Catherine ; the Bull of Canonisation for 
Bernardino ; the letter of invitation by Caesar Borgia to 
the meeting at Singaglia. 

In another part of the enormous building the bindings 
of the Treasury registers are shown^ many of them 
decorated by Sienese artists. 

1344. Siena enthroned over the Lupa^ Amhrogio Lor en- 
zetti, 

1357. The Circumcision. 

1385. Citizens bound together by '^ Concord/' assemble 
before the Genius of the Commune. The Green Count of 
Savoy stands to the l. 

1433- Coronation of the Emperor Sigismund. 

1436. S. Jerome taking the thorn from the foot of the 
lion. 

1440. S. Peter enthroned ^ by Giovanni Paolo. 

1449. Two cardinals crown Nicholas V. 

1455. Pope Calixtus III. ; Annunciation : S. Bernard^ 
procession to pray for the downfall of the Turks. 

1460. Coronation of Pius II.; Vecchietta. 

1467. Madonna protecting Siena; Earthquake^ tentS; 
etc.; outside the walls^ by F. Giorgio. 

1468. Allegory of the economical effects of peace and 
war. 

1471. Wisdom proceeding from God; Sano di Pietro. 

1473. Marriage of Lucrezia di Agnolo Malavolti with 
Count Robert of San Severino. 

1474. Allegory of good government. 



300 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

1483. Presentation of the keys of Siena to Madonna della 
Grazie in the Duomo. 

1484. The Presentation; and 1485^ Sacrifice of Isaac^ 
both by Guidoccio Cozzarelli, 

i486. Madonna protectress of Siena^ Matteo di Gio- 
vanni, 

1526. Victory at the Camollia Gate* 

Adjoining the Loggia del Papa is the Church of S^ 
Martino. 

Interior. To the R. of the entrance^ Madonna protecting 
Siena at the battle of the Porta Camollia. 

Second altar to the R. Circumcision^ by Guido Reni. 
Note the angel who kneels in front. 

Third altar to the r. The sculpture is attributed to 
scholars of Marrina. The picture by Beccajumi represents 
the Martyrdom of S. Bartholomew. 

Second altar to the l. Crucifix^ attributed to Jacopo 
della Querela. 

Third altar to the l. The sculpture over the altar is an 
example of the work of Marrina (1476-1534); the most 
capable of Sienese sculptors after the time of Jacopo della 
Querela. The decorative frieze of griffins and the angels 
in the spandrils are characteristic. The contrast between 
this work of the master and the corresponding work of 
followers or pupils opposite is interesting. The picture is 
a Nativity^ by Beccafumi. 

In the choir there are statues carved in wood and gilt. 
To the L.; SS. Paul and Bartholomew ', to the r.^ SS. John 
Baptist and Anthony the Abbot. At the east end of the 
choir. Madonna and Child. The male figures are strong, 
burly, and heavily draped. Madonna is a well-developed 
youthful form. The design is simple. She smiles over 
the Child with easy grace. 

In the east end of the choir a window with stained glass, 
by Pastorini. S. Martin divides his cloak with the 
beggar. 

S. Spirito. Turn to the l., out of the Via Ricasoli, and 



SIENA 301 

a short distance along the Via Pispini is the Church of 
S. Spirito. 

On the west wall; above the entrance door^ crucifix^ by 
Sano di Ptetro. 

Turn to the r. Scene of the Nativity in terra-cotta, 
ascribed to Ambrogio della Robbta. 

First altar to the r. Centre of the composition^ Sta. 
Rosa of Viterbo ; to the r. and l.^ SS. Michael and Niccolo 
da Tolentino ; above^ Madonna, with SS. Octavia and Lucy, 
presents the Dominican habit to S. Alfonso. This part of 
the picture is ascribed to Bazzt. The figures to the r. and 
L. of the altar-piece proper are SS. Anthony the Abbot and 
Sebastian. In the lunette above, S. James, mounted on his 
charger, is riding over his prostrate foes. This figure is 
attributed to Bazzt. 

Third altar to the R., Coronation of the Virgin, by Becca- 
fumi. 

Pass into the choir and, by the entrance to the sacristy, 
into a small cloister. Crucifixion, by Fra Paolina, At the 
foot kneel SS. Mary Magdalen and Catherine of Siena. 
Madonna and S. John stand to the l. and R. In the back- 
ground appear the towers of Jerusalem. 

Return to the western entrance to the church. 

First altar to the l.. Assumption of Madonna, by Matteo 
Balducci (early sixteenth century). 

Third altar to the l.. Coronation of the Virgin, by 
Pfl^^J^za (1477-1533 (?)). 

Fourth altar to the l., on the side wall. Madonna and 
Child, ascribed to Berna (d. 1381). 

In a chapel to the l. of the choir, kneeling figure of 
S. Mary Magdalen, by Giacomo Cozzarelli (1453-1515). 

S. Maria dei Servi 

Turn to the r. out of the Via Ricasoli, along the Via S. 
Girolamo, and to the l. into the Via dei Servi and pass up 
to the Church of S. Maria dei Servi. The view from the 
top of the steps is one of the finest in Siena. 

X 



302 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Turn to the R. Near the entrance there is a fragment of 
fresco with a circle of figures dancing and crowned with 
flowers. 

First altar to the R.^ Madonna and Child^ painted in 1261 
by Coppo Marcovaldo ; the picture is known as the 
Madonna del Bordone. Madonna has the long, curved 
nose^ the heavy cheeks^ the narrow eyes^ and the small 
chin which came to be a t}^e common in Sienese art. 
There is something very sweet and simple in the picture^ 
and it is certainly a favourable example of thirteenth- 
century art. 

Fourth altar to the r.; Massacre of the Innocents^ by 
Matteo da Siena, Above is an Adoration of the Magi. 

The sacristy is reached from the transept ; to the r.;, 
over the door^ is *' La Vergine del Popolo/' school of 
Duccio. 

In the chapel to the r. of the choir^ damaged fresco of the 
Massacre of the Innocents^ which has been ascribed to one 
of the Lorenzetti. On the side wall. Nativity, by Taddeo 
Bartolo (1362-142 2). 

Over the high altar, Coronation of the Virgin, by 
Fungai (1460-1516), a large picture of most unpleasant 
aspect ; it would be charitable to hope that its present 
appearance is due to the restorer and not to the artist. 

The second chapel to the l. of the choir, damaged frescoes 
of the Feast of Herod and the Assumption of S. John the 
Evangelist. 

In the L. transept, Madonna Misericordia, by Johannis de 
Petris (1436). 

Returning to the western end of the nave, over the 
second altar. Madonna del Belvedere, by Giacomo Mino 
del Pellicciaio (1363). At the sides of this painting there 
are figures of SS. Mary Magdalen and Joseph which have 
been ascribed to Matteo di Siena. 

S. Girolamo is to the r. of the Via Ricasoli, near to the 
Church of the Servi. 

Over the third altar to the R., Madonna and Child. 
S. Jerome and a monk kneel in the foreground. 




Photograph : Alinari 

MADONNA AND CHILD 

(By Margaritone. In the Gallery Arezzo) 

Compare with the picture by Coppo Marcovaldo in the Church of S. Maria dei 

Servi, Siena 



SIENA 303 

At the sides of the niche which contains the altar there 
is an Annunciation ; Gabriel to the l. ; Madonna to the R. 
In the sacristy^ Coronation of the Virgin. S. Jerome and 
a monk kneel in front. 

In the cloister there is an Assumption of Madonna. On 
the soffit of the enclosing arch Fungai has painted a 
multitude of saints. 

In the western part of the city. 

The Communal Library. In the Via delle Belle Arti. 

This library contains some interesting manuscripts, 
printed books and drawings. 

MS. Dante^ sec. xiv. Canzoni di Dante^ sec. xiv. 
Several Missals^ sec. xv. Pontificale;, sec. xv. History of 
Alexander the Great, sec. xv. Epistles of S. Paul; sec. 
xi. 

PoliphiluS; 1499. Cosmography, Claudii Ptolemaci, 
1478. Monte Sancto di Dio, 1477. Dante of 1481, with 
eighteen engravings by Botticelli. Autograph, Pius II. 
Autograph letter of Charles V, to Paul III. Drawings by 
Baldassare Peruzzi, Giuliano da San Gallo, Francesco di 
Giorgio. 

MS. Virgil; sec. xiii. History of the battle of Monte- 
aperto, with illustrations of 1443. 

Magnificent Evangelarium, written in Greek, sec. x., 
with silver-gilt binding and many small enamels. 

On the shelves are many choir books. 

The Gallery of Pictures 

Pass along the Via Cavour until the little piazza in front 
of the Salimbene palace is reached ; opposite to this the 
Via Belle Arti descends rapidly. Nearly at the bottom of 
this street; on the left-hand side, is the entrance to the 
picture gallery. 

[The pictures in the gallery at Siena are nearly all by 
Sienese painters, the chief exceptions being a few panels 
of early date by Florentine painters and pictures by Pin- 



304 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

turicchio and Bazzi^ who were employed at Siena in the 
sixteenth century. Otherwise the collection belongs to a 
phase of Tuscan painting resting on long-established 
tradition and existing for about two hundred years almost 
entirely free fromx foreign and external influence. Nothing 
is more remarkable in the history of Italian art than the 
power of the Sienese school to resist the intrusion of new 
forces. Take for instance the picture of S. Barbara; 
painted by Matteo di Giovanni in 1479^ which now hangs 
in the Church of S. Domenico. It is a reproduction of 
the type used by Duccio more than a hundred and fifty 
years before^ with this difference^ that the later craftsman 
is less vigorous and able than the earlier artist. 

The tradition on which this immobile work rested was 
that of the Greek art of Byzantium in the twelfth century. 
This art reaches a high perfection in such examples as the 
head of Christ made by Byzantine mosaicists at Cefalu in 
Sicily. It is austere and disciplined ; it stands aloof from 
ordinary experience ; natural objectS; the human form, 
human passion^ are little more than necessary but un- 
welcome incidents. The true aim is not the representation 
of terrestrial things ; the desire is to reach the expression 
of transcendental vision. The mystical splendour which 
the Byzantines attained in the search after the uncon- 
ditioned brought with it a penalty ; for in reaching out 
'^ beyond being/' " beyond knowledge/' they lost the 
birthright of human nature. This penalty was paid in full 
by their successors and imitators of the Sienese school. 

Fortunately some reflection of the mystical splendour 
of the Byzantines was the last tradition to die out in Siena^ 
and by its preservation the Sienese won high renown in 
the history of the national civilisation. They maintained 
the tradition of pure colour^ of elaborate technique^ of a 
line delicate^ graceful and expressive even when unstruc- 
tural; and above all they had a sense of the mystery which 
lies behind the obvious and the concrete. The Annuncia- 
tioU; by Simone Martini^ now in the gallery of the Uffizi^ is 
an example of all these qualities. 



SIENA 305 

The golden age of the school lasts from about the year 
1280 up to about the year 1350. None of the great men of 
this period are found at their best in the Sienese gallery. 
Duccio's altar-piece is in the Opera del Duomo ; Simone 
Martini must be enjoyed in the Palazzo Pubblico or at 
Assisi ; the most famous work of Ambrogio Lorenzetti is 
in the Sala della Pace in the Palazzo Pubblico. 

Duccio (1255 (?)-i3i9) is the first great name in Sienese 
art ; his panels^ when compared with those of his prede- 
cessors^ have freshness^ sensibility^ and a technique more 
careful and delicate. Sometimes he reaches an unusual 
magnificence in the imaginative use of colour. The work 
of Niccolo Pisano and his assistants^ who made the pulpit 
in the Duomo when Duccio was a boy^ had little or no 
influence over him. It is possible to see in some of his 
pictures traces of this or that fashion of ornament^ but the 
essentially Byzantine quality is dominant throughout. 

Simone Martini (1285 (?)-i344)^ the second great Sienese 
painter^ maintained many of the outward characteristics 
of Byzantine tradition^ but he was more sensitive than 
Duccio to the influences of the time. He translates the 
mannered, unmoved^ and sometimes even vapid types of 
Duccio's Majestas into forms inspired by poignant 
feeling. There is neither the asceticism of the older school 
nor the intellectual vigour of Florence . We recall rather the 
spirit of the simple and genial emotion of S. Francis as we 
see it in the Fioretti. Simone was no student of nature. 
He takes us into an ideal country^ a land of unearthly 
radiance^ where there is always springs where the way is 
painted with the fresh flowers of May. He idealises the 
rich detail with which he surrounds his saintly figures^ so 
that it is never overcharged. His gay patterns^ his 
gracious draperies carry us with him into a courtly fairy- 
land ; his ornament is the romance of decoration. 

Ambrogio Lorenzetti^ the third of the greater men of 
the early school^ accepts Sienese tradition^ but with added 
vitality and width of outlook. His style is masculine. He 
has a broad and assured manner of rendering the figure. 



3o6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

He is more in touch with ordinary Hfe than his two pre- 
decessors. He cannot be called a student of nature^ but 
his more striking work owes its charm to a subtle blending 
of naturalism with the contemplative habit. He was 
contemporary with Orcagna in Florence and Traini in 
Pisa. Each of these men had an unusual sense of serenity 
and elevation of feelings but in each case the pictorial 
instinct was to some extent hampered by the cross cur- 
rents that were transforming the national life.] 

On entering the gallery pass the door to Room X. and 
turn to the R. into 

Eoom I 

(2) S. Francesco^ by Margantone, a thirteenth-century 
artist of Arezzo. The picture is mainly of interest from 
the devotional point of view. 

(3) Christy with the Virgin and S. John the Baptist ; 
and (5) incidents from the lives of S. Francis and the 
Beato Andrea Gallerani^ are examples of work often 
described as Byzantine. They are in reality the rude 
attempts of native Italian craftsmen, and they should be 
carefully distinguished from Byzantine art properly so 
called. 

(i) Christ is seated on a rainbow within a mandorla. 
He is clothed in a blue robe^ and gives the blessing in the 
Latin form ; the figure is in relief. At the corners are the 
symbols of the Evangelists^ also in relief. The eagle in 
particular is full of life^ apparently about to fly. The 
small pictures at the sides are in bad condition^ and they 
have not been satisfactorily deciphered. The] inscription 
gives the date 12 15. Note in this connection the erect 
and living form and the open eyes of the figure in the 
Crucifixion. 

(14) S. John the Baptist enthroned. He is crowned 
but has no nimbus ; he gives the blessing in the Greek 
manner. 

The small pictures to the l. are : (a) Appearance of 
the angel to Zacharias ; (b) Meeting of the Virgin and 



SIENA 307 

S. Elizabeth ; {c) Nativity of John ; (J) S. Elizabeth pre- 
sents John to Madonna^ who carries the infant Christy a 
most natural scene of maternal joy and pride ; {e) the 
angel carries John into the wilderness — note the magnificent 
presence of the angel; (/) Christ appears to John. The 
pictures to the R. represent : (g) John recognising Christ ; 
{h) Christ is baptised : {k) Herod's feast — note the grace 
of the tall and slim Salome ; (Z) John is beheaded ; (m) 
S. John appears in limbo to give news of the Advent; 
{n) Christ and Madonna receive S. John. This picture is 
an early example of the glowing colour to which Sienese 
art owes so much. 

On the wall opposite, 

(55) Christ crucified; a picture in the style of the 
fourteenth century. 

(8) Entry of Christ into Jerusalem. 

To the R.; the Transfiguration; to the L.^ the Resurrection 
of Lazarus. The landscape is picturesque and effective. 
The figures are tall and dignified ; the design is based on 
some of the fine qualities of Byzantine practice. 

(15) S. Peter enthroned^ and holding the keys. The 
small pictures narrate the story of the Annunciation^ 
the Nativity;, the Calling of Peter^ the Liberation of Peter^ 
the Fall of Simon Magus^ and the Martyrdom of Peter. 

(16) Madonna and Child; attributed to Guido da Siena, 
painted probably later than 1260. The drapery is worked 
with gilt lineS; and edged with a rich border. Madonna's 
face is strong in feature ; the eyes are less contracted than 
in Duccio's type^ the eyebrows are well defined^ the mouth 
and chin stronger and firmer than in the later Sienese 
pictures. The expression on the whole is simple and bene- 
ficent. On the Child's face there is a natural smile. In 
spite of minor peculiarities^ the Sienese type is here already 
wxll defined. The picture is effective as an altar-piece, 
although there is no subtlety of thought nor of handling. 

(587) Madonna and Child; attributed to Guido da Siena. 

(20) A small but exceedingly beautiful panel; in which 

Franciscans kneel at the feet of Madonna and Child. The 



3o8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

background is diapered. Mary is clothed in a magnificent 
robe^ brilliant in the depth and glow of rich blue. She sits 
with easy grace in a chair painted with the kind of detail 
common in the early work at Assisi. The picture is 
described as being in the manner of Duccio. It is one of 
the most notable in this room. 

(592) Madonna and Child; of a somewhat different type 
to (16) and (587). The Child^ hitherto clothed^ is here 
almost nude. 

Above this picture there are four small panels which 
illustrate the development of the early Sienese school. 

(26) and (27) represent the stiffs hard manner and 
the fixed gaze of the rude native artist trying to copy some 
Byzantine master. (23) and (24)^ both by Duccio, show 
how he modified the rude style so that the figure becomes 
more flexible^ the expression less hard; and the whole more 
vital. His claim to be the first great master of the school 
does not rest on the invention of any new type. He 
remains traditional throughout; but he gives new vigour 
and new life to the tradition. It is remarkable that we 
have no example of his work in fresco. 

(28) Madonna and Child; with SS. Peter; DominiC; Paul 
and AugustinC; by Duccio. The face of Mary is inexpressive; 
but there is both character and life in the male figures. 
The picture has been damaged ; the green of the ground- 
work has been uncovered in places. 

(35) Triptych; by Duccio, Madonna and Child; with 
saintS; and at the sides the Nativity and scenes from the 
Passion. The picture is in very bad condition; but there 
are brilliant passages of colour in the draperies and 
hangings. 

(38) Altar-piecC; in the manner of Duccio. The figures 
of SS. Benedict; Michael; Bartholomew and Nicholas are 
strong and masculine in character. 

(40) Madonna; with SS. Paul; John and Bernard. A 
poor; lifeless panel; by Segna di Tura, a pupil of Duccio; 
who appears in the records of the time between 1298 and 
1327. 



SIENA 309 

(583) By Duccio, and (588) by Segna, two pictures of 
Madonna and Child. In both the Child is almost 
nude. 

(43) S. Galgano driving his sword into the ground (for 
the legend^ see Church of S. Galgano)^ and (42) S. Ansano^ 
both works by Segna dt Tura, less vapid than (40), but 
marking the same weakening of type when compared with 
the work of Duccio. 

(46) The Crucifixion^ by Niccolo dt Segna , dated 1345. 
A large picture in the' manner of the fourteenth century. 
The anatomy is more detailed than is usual in Florentine 
work of the same period. The figures of Mary and John 
are poor and without distinction. 

On the wall opposite (578) and (579); by Ptetro Lorenzetti, 
noticeable for the delicacy of the decoration. 

(47) Altar-piece by Duccio. This panel has been much 
damaged. The decoration of blue and gold in the aureoles 
suggests how great the beauty of the whole must have 
been. The stereotyped forms of Sienese art are strongly 
marked; the long; narrow eyeS; the insignificant mouth and 
chin. 

From this point in the gallery the severely traditional 
manner of DucciO; stern and somewhat heavy ^ is relaxed. 
The art is less hieratic^ colour becomes more gay^ expres- 
sion is less tense. 

(51) An altar-piecC; by Ltppo Memmi, brother-in-law of 
Simone Martini; with whom he sometimes worked. Ma- 
donna and Child; with SS. Bernard; Stephen; Johu; and 
a martyr. When we compare this with Duccio's panels; 
it is seen that Madonna has grown younger ; S. Stephen 
holds his palm with grace between the tips of his fingers ; 
S. Bernard has been mellowed ; he is neither the Pope- 
making ecclesiastic; nor the severe guardian of orthodoxy. 
In spite of all the elaboration of decoration; there is some- 
thing dull in the fiat modelling and blond colour of LippO; 
after the vigorous hand of Duccio. 

(54) Triptych in the manner of the Lorenzetti. In the 
centre; a delicately painted panel of the Crucifixion. Note 



3IO THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the pink robes and the azure wings^ and the general effect 
of brilUant colour. 

On the wall opposite, 

(580) Coronation of the Virgin^ by Bartolo di Maestro 

Room II 

[Looked at from the entrance^ this room makes a brilliant 
show of richness and colour^ such as few galleries can match. 
The pictures represent Sienese panel painting in the four- 
teenth century. An air of dignified reticence ^ calm and 
peaceful, of fervour mild and devout^ lends itself to the 
simplicity of gold backgrounds and the use of primary 
colours. 

The pictures in the first part of the gallery mainly repre- 
sent the art of Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti. These 
masters disappear after the year of plague 1348^ and with 
them comes to an end the great tradition of Sienese art. 
After the Lorenzetti pictures there are a number of panels 
by Bartolo di Maestro Fredi (about 1 330-1410). Mr 
Berenson describes him as a follower of Lippo Memmi and 
the Lorenzetti. 

At the end of the room is a collection of works by Taddeo 
Bartolo (i 363-1422), a follower of Bartolo di Fredi, and 
probably the ablest Sienese painter of his time, a good 
workman, however, rather than a great artist.] 

(58) An altar-piece, essentially commonplace, yet a 
pleasing piece of decorative painting. 

(63) S. Michael, a fragment, by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, 

(60) A triptych in the manner of the Florentine, Bernardo 
Daddi, dated 1336, in which black, scarlet, and gold, with 
beautiful engraving, unite to form lovely decoration. 

(65) A small panel in the manner of Ambrogio Lorenzetti. 
A triumph in the decorative use of colour. The deep blue 
of Mary's robe and the brilliant scarlet of one of the 
Bishop's vestments are set in a design in which every 
detail, the throne, the carpet, the vase of flowers, forms a 
rich, harmonious whole. S. Catherine, to the r., has a robe 



SIENA 311 

of black and gold; with a rose-coloured mantle ; S. Dorothea^ 
to the L._, carries a lapful of flowers. 

On the upper line (61) the Assumption of the Virgin^ a 
dull, heavy picture, by Ptetro Lorenzettt, 

(67) Also on the upper line, a triptych in the manner of 
Lippo Memmi. S. Michael with the dragon under his 
feet, S. Anthony the Abbot, and S. John Baptist. 

(73) Madonna and Child, in the manner of Bernardo 
Daddi. A little gem of brilliant colour, black, blue, 
scarlet and gold. 

(77) Madonna and Child, by Ambrogio Lorenzettt, The 
Child holds a scroll with the words, '^ Blessed are the poor 
in spirit." To the r. are S. Mary Magdalen and John the 
Evangelist ; to the l., S. Dorothea and John the Baptist. 
The tender relationship between mother and child ex- 
pressed here is characteristic of Ambrogio. 

(83) Part of a predella painted by Ptetro Lorenzettt, 
Pope Honorius IV. gives a habit to a Carmelite monk, and 
approves the rule. 

(92) A religious allegory, by Ptetro Lorenzettt, The 
picture is much damaged, but the principal figures can 
be distinguished. In the low^er part is the Fall of Adam 
and Eve, and the Death of Abel, the beginning of sin and the 
first murder. In the centre is Christ crucified, surrounded 
by a great crowd of human beings. Above are men and 
women living in the world of pleasure, on one side. Heaven 
and Hell on the other. 

(88) On the upper line, an Annunciation, by[ Ambrogio 
Xorenzetti, dated 1344. The angel is crowned with olive 
and carries a palm. Madonna folds her hands in sub- 
mission and looks upwards to the Father Eternal with 
gentleness and love. There is something reminiscent of 
Simone Martini's famous Annunciation, now in the Ufhzi, 
but Ambrogio's picture lacks the delicacy and imaginative 
grace of the earlier painter. 

The pictures in the room from this point belong for the 
most part to the second half of the fourteenth century. 

Five pictures forming part of an altar-piece by Bartolo 



312 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

di Maestro Fredi, the centre part of which is still in the 
Church of S. Francesco at Montalcino. (97) A pilaster^ 
with saints. (99) A predella^ with S. Joachim driven out 
of the Temple^ and a Pieta. (100) Scenes from the life of 
Madonna^ including her death. (loi) The Assumption. 
(102) Another pilaster^ with saints. 

(103) Predella by Bartolo di Maestro Fredi: S. Peter 
raising Tabitha ; the Beheading of John the Baptist ; 
the Visit of the Magi ; John the Evangelist ; S. Lucy 
dragged by bullocks to her martyrdom. 

(104) Adoration of the Magi^ by Bartolo di Maestro Fredi, 
A dull^ flat picture^ with most of the faults^ and few of the 
merits J of the age. 

(107) Madonna and Child;, by the Florentine^ Taddeo 
Gaddi. In the foreground angels swing censers and offer 
flowers. The heavy type of face^, with almond-shaped eyes^ 
nearly allied to the Sienese habit^ is tempered by a vigorous 
suggestion of character. All the circumstance is refined 
and dignified. 

(109) S. Anna^ Madonna and Child^ by Luca di Tomml, 
painted in 1347. A large picture^, rather dull and heavy ^ 
although Madonna looks with gentle affection at the Child. 
Note the unnaturally long and thin fingers. 

(hi) a small picture of the Crucifixion^, with a Pieta of 
the same general design as in (77). There is a note of 
exaggeration alike in the expression of emotion and in the 
drawing of the figure. 

(114) Crucifixion^ by Andrea di Vanni, a follower of 
S. Catherine of Siena, known to have been painting between 
1351 and 1400. Faces of the heavy Sienese type^ long 
beards in series of formal curls^ the extravagantly designed 
figure on the cross^ all show that Andrea was a follower of 
unvitalised tradition. The brilliant masses of scarlet are, 
however, managed with good effect. 

(116) Nativity of the Virgin, by Paolo di Giovanni, To 
the L., SS. James and Catherine ; to the r., SS. Bartholomew 
and Elizabeth of Hungary. The picture is only worth 
looking at to enable one to estimate the dull and childish 



SIENA 313 

art which sufficed for the Sienese towards the end of the 
fourteenth century. Note the contrast with the com- 
paratively virile style of [119] the Coronation of the 
Virgin by Spinello Aretino, painted in 1384. 

(128) A triptych of Madonna and Child^ with saints^ 
the first example of the work of Taddeo di Bartolo (1363- 
1422). A capable painter of good repute^ who worked 
at S. Francesco in Pisa on a large scale^ and in the Palazzo 
Pubblico of Siena. He also painted at Perugia^ where he 
exercised influence upon Umbrian painting. 

(131) A triptych^ by Taddeo di Bartolo, painted in 1409 : 
the Annunciation and the Death of the Virgin^ with 
SS. Cosmo and Damiano at the sides. This is a good ex- 
ample of the master's work. Note how the love of decora- 
tion prompts the Sienese artist to add to the ornate^ 
imposing character of his picture by building up a series 
of panels into one large composition. 

(134) Taddeo di Bartolo. The Martyrdom of SS. Cosmo 
and Damiano. A wild scene in which an angry crowd 
stone the saints as they hang on their crosses. 

(137) A small but effective panel. The Mystic Mar- 
riage of S. Catherine^, at either side SS. JameS; 
Bartholomew and Lucy. 

On the wall between the windows. (145) A triptych, 
by Jacopo di Mino, il Pellicciaio, painted in 1363. This 
artist designed the fagade of the baptistery. The Child 
seated on his mother's knee crowns S. Catherine of Alex- 
andria, who kneels before him. The other saints are 
Agnes, Mary Magdalen and Lucy. 

Room III 

[The third hall is mainly devoted to the earlier fifteenth- 
century painters, such as Stefano di Giovanni, known as 
Sassetta (i392(?)-i45o), Domenico di Bartolo (1406 (?)- 
1449), Lorenzo di Pietro, known as Vecchietta (1410-1480), 
and Giovanni di Paolo (1403-1482). It was in the fifteenth 
century that the tragedy of Sienese painting was fully 



314 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

developed. The painters followed the tradition conse- 
crated by the practice of the great men of the fourteenth 
century^ without the gifts of imagination and under- 
standing. In trying to look at life through the eyes of 
Duccio and Simone^ they saw mainly the defects of the 
good qualities of these men. The contemplative habit 
degenerates into apathy ; delicacy of refinement becomes 
insipidity ; decoration loses its charm in laborious repeti- 
tions ; the sense of mystery declines into vague sentiment^ 
leaving the craftsman outside of the pale of nature and 
common life and yet not without the door that opens into 
the world of vision. If it happened that men like Sassetta 
and Domenico di Bartolo found a better way^ they had 
too little influence to affect the school as a whole. Yet even 
in its low estate^ one gift remained vital and active in some 
degree. The Sienese never entirely lost their sense of 
beautiful colour. The picture of Santa Barbara^, by 
Matteo di Giovanni^ in the Church of S. Domenico^ for in- 
stance^ from some points of view is futile enough^ but if it 
should chance that the light of the setting sun streaming 
through the windows of the nave should be reflected upon 
the picture from the chapel wall opposite^ the visitor will 
never forget the glorious vision of colour that he will have 
seen.] 

(149) The Triumph of Death. A skeleton drawn in a 
chariot by buffaloes. 

(150) The Triumph of Chastity. A girlish figure with a 
palm branch; and a banner emblazoned with an erminC; 
is drawn in a chariot by unicorns. 

(151) The Triumph of Love^ who shoots arrows at the 
crowd surrounding his car drawn by white horses. 

(152) The Triumph of Fame. A young woman with 
sword and book is drawn by elephants. 

Such representations of Triumphs probably took their 
rise from the Psycomachia of Prudentius^ in which the 
struggle of Christianity against paganism is described as an 
allegory of the conquest of Christian virtues over pagan 
vices. Note, in the Triumph of Love^, the figures of 



SIENA 315 

Aristotle with Campaspe, and of Virgil^, illustrating the 
mediaeval legends of how the philosopher and poet were 
both flouted in love. The crowd surrounding the chariots 
generally include the great personages of antiquity^ 
characters from the Greek tragedies^ and sometimes the 
gods of Olympus are also introduced. In mediaeval 
representations there was a contest among the triumphs 
themselves : Love was conquered by Chastity^ Chastity 
by Death; Death by Fame^ Fame by Time^ and Time by 
Religion. 

(157) An exceedingly graceful triptych. Madonna in 
a white robe is a charming figure. 

On the opposite wall. (220) A large and commonplace 
altar-piece^ by Martino di Bartolommeo, who is supposed to 
have flourished in the middle of the fifteenth century. 
To the L._, SS. Jerome and Dorothea; to the r.^ SS. John and 
Stephen. Note the disc of the sun which the Evangelist 
bears in addition to his usual emblem^ the eagle. 

(160) Madonna and Child; with SS. John, Lawrence^ 
Augustine and Ansano, 

(163) The Crucifixion^ with a number of scenes from the 
life of Christ. Beneath are half-length figures of SS. 
Catherine^ Dominic^ Mary of Eg3^t; Thomas Aquinas and 
FranciS; representative saints of the two preaching orders. 

(164) On the upper line. Madonna and Child; painted 
in 1433. I^ is supposed that the author is Domenico di 
Bartolo; one of the earliest of the Sienese painters to show 
signs of Renaissance influence. 

The four pictures^ numbered (166) the Temptation of 
S. Anthony ; (167) the Last Supper ; (168) the four martyr 
saintS; patrons of Siena^ AnsanO; VittorC; Savinus and 
Crescentius ; (169) a group of saints^ are all the work of 
Stefano. di Giovanni, known as Sassetta. 

Between the Sassetta pictures and the end of the gallery 
there are twenty-nine panels^ by Giovanni di Paolo (1403- 
1480); who may be fitly described as a painter of *' un- 
inhabited faces." There may have been artists with less 
technical skill ; it is hardly possible that anyone, can have- 



3i6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

had less vital energy. His work is notably insipid among 
fellow-artists whose work is not often characterised by 
point or vigour. 

(173) painted in 1453. S. Nicholas enthroned and sur- 
rounded by saints is an extraordinary example of the trite 
monotony which follows the disregard of nature. The only 
praiseworthy quality is some sense of the decorative use 
of colour. 

Below (173) Giovanni di Paolo has painted a vision of the 
Last Judgment; modelled probably upon some recollection 
of Fra Angelico. The charm^ however ;, is absent. The 
naive simplicity of the Florentine has become weak trifling 
in the hands of the Sienese. 

(175) Crucifixion. Note the brilliant and harmonious 
colour of the group at the foot of the cross. 

(204) Lorenzo di Pietro, known as // Vecchietta (i 410 or 
141 2-1480). A huge panel painted on both sides. On the 
outsidC; the Annunciation^ Crucifixion^ and Resurrection, 
and SS. Bernardino, Catherine, Galgano, the Blessed 
Andrea Gallerani and others. Inside, the scenes of the 
Passion are perhaps by a scholar. The work is crudely 
realistic and without charm ; it is hardly too much to say 
that it is barbarous. 

On the wall opposite (209) by Piero Francesco Fioren- 
tino. A Nativity, with SS. Francis and Dominic. The 
four '' Triumphs " at the other end of the room are attri- 
buted to this painter. 

Rooms IV 

[The next two rooms are filled with the paintings of Sano 
di Pietro, a reported pupil of Sassetta. In these rooms 
are hung no less than forty-eight of this painter's panels ; 
neither Florence nor Venice has so honoured any of their 
greatest masters. 

Sano di Pietro painted pattern-like pictures making no 
pretension to keen sensibility, nor high imaginative power. 
He arouses neither intensity of feeling nor any breath of 
passion. He is neither a dreamer of dreams nor a seer of 



SIENA 317 

visions : he never falls into heroics, he shuns rhetoric^ 
and avoids the unexpected. To men and women hardly 
driven by the strain of common lifC; Sano's decorous tran- 
scripts of devotional and traditional usage may well have 
proved an anodyne : they may even have satisfied the 
*^ appetito di bellezza " which is the inheritance of every 
Italian. 

His childlike love of ornament and his delight in gay, 
lively colour have indeed made his work more popular 
than the painting of others who were far greater artists. 

On entering turn to the R. All the pictures are by Sano 
di Pietro, 

(223) Coronation of the Virgin. 

(226) A large altar-piece in a fine pointed frame. The 
saints are Stephen and Bernard on the r., John the Baptist 
and LavvTence on the l. Note the kneeling figures of men 
and women at the feet of Madonna. In the cusps, Christ 
in blessing, the Annunciation, and SS. Peter and Paul ; in 
the predella, scenes from the Passion ; and on the pilasters, 
men and women saints. 

(227) Assumption of the Virgin. A good example of the 
use of brilliant colour and decorative gilding. 

(231) The Child has a bunch of cherries. The saints are 
John the Baptist and Jerome, Gregory and Augustine. 
On the pilasters, Michael and Agnes, Anthony and An- 
sano. 

(233) Madonna and Child, surrounded with angels ; S. 
Jerome and a monk kneeling. To the r. and l., SS. Cosmo 
and Damiano. The predella has stories from the lives 
of these saints. 

(237) Madonna and Child, with SS. Catherine and Agnes. 
This panel is more vivacious than usual. 

(246) Madonna and Child. In the foreground kneels 
Giovanni Colombini, the founder of the Gesuati. The 
saints are Jerome and Dominic, Augustine and Francis. 
In the cusps, Christ in blessing, the Annunciation, and SS. 
Cosmo and Damiano. This picture was painted in 1444. 

(241) Over the door of exit. Madonna appears to Pope 



31 8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Calixtus III.; and commits her people of Siena to his care. 
In the foreground is a Uttle convoy with provisions for the 
besieged city. This panel was originally in the Palazzo 
Pubblico. 

Room V 

is also filled with the works of Sana. 

Turn to the l. 

(269) Coronation of the Virgin^ with SS. Francis and 
Jerome^ Augustine and Bernardino. Never has Sano 
attained to greater magnificence in the robes than in those 
of Christ and Madonna. The angels are crowned with 
fiowerS; the throne is covered with rich brocade sewn with 
flowers and eagles. The expression of the figures is less 
insipid than usual, and this panel is perhaps therefore the 
most attractive of Sano's works in the gallery. 

(260) The Assumption of the Virgin. The earthly spec- 
tators are SS. John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 
a nun. In the predella (259) Adoration of the Magi ; 
the Miracle of S. Michael on Montegargano ; the Woman 
at the Well ; the Crucifixion ; Christopher carrying the 
Child ; the bullock trying to draw S. Lucy to martyrdom ; 
Peter healing the Sick. 

(255) Madonna and Child, with SS. Biagio and John the 
Baptist on the l. ; Lawrence and Martha on the R. In the 
predella, the story of S. Biagio : he blesses the birds ; 
saves a nun from the wolves ; rescues a drowning woman ; 
his martyrdom^ when he is combed with hackles, and his 
death. 

Eoom VI 

[Contains the works of Matteo di Giovanni (1435-1495), 
of Francesco di Giorgio (1439-1502), of Neroccio di Barto- 
lommeo (1447-1500), and of Guidoccio Cozzarelli (1450- 
15 16). If we compare their work with that of Giovanni 
di Paolo and Sano di Pietro in the previous rooms, it is 
clear that Renaissance culture was gaining ground. These 
men, however, did not fully enter into the stream of current 




PhotograpJi : AUiuJn 

ANNUNCIATION 
(By Piero della Fraxcesca, S. Franxesco in Arezzo) 

Compare with the painting by Sano di Pietro in Sala IV and Sala \' of 
the Gallery, Siena. 



SIENA 319 

life, and it is therefore difficult to place them with their 
contemporaries of other schools. They knew little or 
nothing of the wonder, the freshness, the vivacity of the 
new life that was stirring ; they did not share the interests 
which moved the greater spirits of the time ; they would 
not have agreed that " the heart is builded for pride, for 
potency, for infinity, all heights and deeps, all immen- 
sities." 

These men were not keen students of nature, nor did 
they concern themselves with the high fantasy of life. 
But if they avoided hazards of romanticism they were 
quite as successful in evading the ordinance of the classic. 
They were not notably self-reliant and confident in human 
resource ; breadth and simplicity had little charm for 
them. The Sienese artists of the fifteenth century pre- 
ferred the middle way, with its limitations, and within these 
they practised the traditional use of fine colour inherited 
from the great masters of the fourteenth century. If 
sometimes the end were lost sight of in the elaborate means, 
their ornament was at least a foil to the subdued tones of 
everyday life.] 

Turn to the r. on entering. 

(272) Sano di Pietro. A group of saints, with the An- 
nunciation above. 

(273) Sano di Pietro. Madonna and Child, with scenes 
of the Passion above, and on the predella^ with SS. 
Catherine of Siena and Caterina de Ricci. 

(277) Francesco di Giorgio. The Annunciation in a some- 
what severe architectural setting. For the first time there 
is some approach to the temper of the fifteenth century. 

(279) Pietro di Bomenico (1457-1501). The Nativity, 
with SS. Martin and Galgano. A large picture without 
much character, modelled on Umbrian practice but without 
Umbrian spaciousness. 

(280) A small panel, by Matteo di Giovanni. Note the 
close adherence in essentials to the early type of Sienese 
Madonna. The narrow eyes, the long nose, the insignificant 
mouth and chin are repeated as they occur in the less , 



320 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

distinguished followers of Duccio. The date of the picture 
is 1476. 

(282) Neroccio di Bartolommeo (1447-1501). A fantastic 
attempt to pour the new wine of the Renaissance into the 
old bottles of Sienese tradition. Madonna and Child 
represent the same attitude of mind as we find in Neri di 
Bicci ; it is fortunately impossible to find a parallel for 
the attendant saints in the work of any other Italian 
master. 

(283) On the upper line. Madonna and Child^ by Matteo 
di Giovanni, perhaps the most charming work of the master 
in the gallery. 

(286) Matteo di Giovanni. A large picture without much 
character. A choir of simple little angels carry lilies and 
roses. The date is 1470. 

On the upper line. (288) and (291) Examples of more 
freshness and vigour ; the work of Francesco di Giorgio. 

(296) and (297) illustrate the art of Guidoccio Cozzarelli 
(1450-1516). 

Room VII 

The pictures in this room are for the most part in bad 
condition and need not detain the visitor long. 

(313) To the L. of the window. S. Francis and stories 
from his life. ' The Bishop covers Francis with his mantle ; 
the Vision in S. Damiano ; the Pope dreams that he sees 
a poor man supporting the Church ; Francis speaks to the 
birds ; the brethren see Francis as a chariot of fire ] the 
Stigmata ; the Presepio ; the Death of Francis. 

Room VIII 

[In this room we find the first examples of Bazzi (known 
also as Sodoma), who was born at Vercelli in Lombardy ; 
he is said to have been a student under Leonardo. In 1500 
or 1 501 he came to Siena^ and although he showed no 
understanding of the aims of his master he was a most 
competent painter according to his kind. He saw ordinary 



SIENA 321 

life with very ordinary eyes, and what he saw he painted ; 
he did not aim very high, but he hit his mark. His talent 
extracted the commonplace from everything ; he painted 
it with ability and he had his reward. His ostentation, 
his arrogance, his saucy self-satisfaction were in direct 
opposition to the Sienese artistic temper. His methods 
were equally opposed ; all the resources of the early six- 
teenth century were within his capacity. Men and 
women were not flat patterns enclosed in decorative em- 
broideries ; he saw them in full light and shade vitalised 
by a life, trivial perhaps but vigorous, even at times tur- 
bulent.] 

On entering turn to the r. 

(326) Bazzi. Madonna and Child. 

(327) Bazzi. Members of the Confraternity of Fonte- 
giusta. 

(333) Prisoners before a conquering general ; and (334) 
iEneas fleeing from Troy, both by Girolamo Genga (1476- 
1551), a native of Urbino. These pictures came from the 
Palace of the Magnifico Pandolfo Petrucci. 

On the wall opposite. (352) Christ bound to the column, 
part of a fresco originally in the cloister of S. Francesco, 
by Bazzi, An admirable example of the ability of the 
painter and of the commonplace quality of his method. 
It was probably painted in 1516 or 1517. 

(354) Bazzi, Judith with the head of Holof ernes. Note 
the rich colour of the gay clothing. In the corners of this 
room there are some elaborately carved pilasters by 
Antonio Bar Hi, 

Boom IX 

[This room and the next contain a certain number of 
Sienese paintings in the fifteenth-century manner, but 
there is also a collection of the works of those Sienese 
who early in the sixteenth century, for the first time in the 
history of the school, tried to adapt themselves to external 
influences. Of these Beccafumi may be taken as a favour- 
able example. He was a competent craftsman and an 



322 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

uninteresting artist ; he lacked the homely virtues of the 
plain man J and he had none of the genius of the great. 
His assumption of the graiid manner brought with it none 
of the power necessary for its control. Native Sienese 
painters in the sixteenth century lost the decorative habit 
and the sense for fine colour without attaining to any of 
the imposing qualities of the late Renaissance. Their 
work is formal; conventional^ generally rhetorical^ and 
nearly always unconvincing.] 

Turn to the R. on entering. 

(363) Bernardino Fungai (1460-1516). Madonna and 
Child. A stiff; hard picture. 

(367) Guidoccio Cozzarellt, Madonna and Child; with 
S. Jerome and the Beato Giovanni Colombini. A dull 
painting; dated in 1482. 

(368) Andrea di Niccolo. Crucifixion; with the Virgin; 
SS. JohU; Benedict, and Scholastica. A conventional 
picture; notably deficient in the power of rendering land- 
scape. Dated 1502. 

On the opposite wall. (386) Nativity; and (387) Madonna 
and Child; assigned to PinturiccMo, 

(384) Domenico Beccafumi (1486-1551). In the centre; 
the Trinity; SS. John Baptist and CosimO; John the Evan- 
gelist and Damiano. This picture is the first example in 
the gallery of the effort made to adopt the methods of the 
sixteenth century. Note the exaggerated management 
of light and shade; the harsh [forms and the cold colour. 

(390) The Nativity; and (397) Madonna and Child; both 
by Pietro di Domenico (1457-1501). ' There are traces here 
of Umbrian influence. 

Eoom X 

Turn to the r. (399) and (400); by Matteo di Giovanni, 
(401) The Agony in the Garden; a fresco by Bazzi, Com- 
pared with the panels by Matteo di Giovanni; the pictur- 
esque if commonplace vigour of the Lombard painter is 
conspicuous. 

On the upper line. (403) Paradise. A hard and un- 



SIENA 323 

pleasing picture^ by Bartolommeo Neroni, who flourished 
in the middle of the sixteenth century. 

(405) The Nativity of the Virgin^ by Beccafumt. 

(407) A cold and uninspired picture of the Nativity^ by 
PinturiccJiio, 

(409) Bresciantno. Madonna enthroned ^ with saints. 

(410) Pacchta, A large picture^ with the Annunciation 
in the foreground ; the Visitation in the loggia behind. 
A striking instance of the futility of a weak man attempt- 
ing to work in the grand manner. 

(413) Bazzi. Deposition from the Cross. A huge 
picture^ in which dignity and reverence are lost in in- 
cidental detail. 

(414) Girolamo di Benvenuto (147 0-1524). Madonna en- 
throned. SS. Dominic and Catherine to the l._, Jerome 
and Catherine to the r. Dated 1508. 

(420) Beccafumi. S. Catherine of Siena receives the 
stigmata. Grandiose and theatrical. A painful evidence 
of the inadequacy of the artist. 

(422) Pacchtarottt. The Ascension. 

(423) Beccafumi, The Fall of the Rebel Angels. 

(581) Benvenuto di Giovanni. A fresco^ the ^' Noli me 
tangere." 

On the upper line. (425) A fresco^, by Poccetti, the Last 
Supper^ dated 1595. There is some dignity in the lines 
of white-robed monks^ the onlookers. 

(424) Fungai and Pacchiarotti. Madonna and Child ^ 
with SS. Bartholomew and Onofrio. A hard^ dry picture. 

(427) Beccafumi. Descent into Hades. With the large 
exception of the figure of Christy this picture is less un- 
pleasing than the master's usual work. 

(428) Christ about to be nailed to the Cross. Doubtfully 
attributed to Francesco di Giorgio. 

(431) Fungai. Madonna and Child; with saints^ dated 
15 12. A dull; spiritless picture^ but with some dignity in 
general design. 

(432) Matteo di Giovanni, Madonna and Child, with a 
choir of angels and SS. CosmO; Sebastian^ Damiano and 



324 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Galgano. Matteo repeats the insipid type^ with downcast 
eyeS;, in his Madonna ; but the saints have more vigorous 
and distinctive character. The comparative unpreten- 
tiousness of Matteo is a welcome rehef. 

(434) The Ascension^, by Benvenuto di Giovanni. 

(436) Benvenuto di Giovanni. Dated 1475. Madonna and 
Child^ with SS. Michael and Catherine^ a bishop and S. Lucy. 
Above is Christ blessings, and SS. Ansano and Lorenzo. 
This is a picture worth examination as an exam.ple 
of the poorest side of Sienese art in the fifteenth century. 

(437) Francesco di Giorgio. The Nativity, with SS. 
Ambrose and Bernard. 

(440) Francesco di Giorgio. The Coronation of the 
Virgin. A picture of harsh contrasts both in character 
and colour, but not without striking quality. 

(441) Fungai. The Assumption of the Virgin. SS. 
John, Francis and Bernardino are the earthly witnesses ; 
above are ranks of patriarchs and prophets. The picture 
has no charm. 

(443) Bazzi. The Descent of Christ into Limbo. A 
picture famous for the figures of Adam and Eve, parti- 
cularly the latter. This group, together with the Christ at 
the column in Room VIIL, and the Vision of S. Catherine 
in the Church of S. Domenico, are probably the best-known 
and the most popular of the master's works. This florid 
and clamorous naturalism must have come as a new 
revelation to the Sienese, accustomed to the conventional 
transcripts of their own painters. Such direct vision and 
such summary method had not been known in Siena for 
many generations. 

On a screen at one end of the room. (426) A picture of the 
Visitation, supposed to be in the manner of Pacchiarotto or 
Fungai. It is a work which must be considered as an 
object of devotion ; it represents no artistic impulse. 

Eoom XI 

Turn to the R. On a screen. (495) The. Holy Family, 




PJiotograpIi : Anderson 

DETAIL FROM THE LAST JUDGMENT ' 
(In the Sistine Chapel, Rome) 

Compare with the work of the Sienese painters in Sala X of the Gallery, 

Siena 



SIENA 325 

attributed to Pinturicchio. The infant Christ and S. John 
are charmingly simple. 

(544) Paris Bordone. The Annunciation. 

(512) Bazzi. The Nativity. (500) Palma Vecchio, 
Madonna and Child. S. Omobono presents a youth. 

(480) Portrait of Martin Schongauer^, by himself. 

(454) Federigo Zuccaro (i 542-1 609). Portrait of Queen 
Elizabeth. 

Return through Room X., to the Entrance Corridor. 

Begin near the entrance to Room IV. Above an ancient 
sarcophagus. (577) Vecchietta. S. Lawrence. On the wall 
opposite. (57s) Giovanni di Paolo. Madonna and Child, 
with many saints. An example of the anxiously feeble 
manner of the painter. 

Among the sculptures near the entrance door note : 
(19) the Resurrection ; (37) the Nativity^ school of Luca 
della Robbia ; (4)^ (22), (23) and (24) the Four Evangelists, 
by Giovanni Turini. 

The House of S. Catherine, in the Via Benincasa. The 
house and workshop of Lapo Benincasa, S. Catherine's 
father, has been converted into a series of little chapels, 
connected by a pleasant cortile, said to have been de- 
signed by Baldassare Peruzzi. 

The first chapel was originally the dining-room of the 
house. The walls are covered with modern frescoes 
illustrating the life of S. Catherine. Over the altar, the 
saint receives the stigmata ; on the l. wall, she saves 
certain monks from brigands by her prayers ; she receives 
the Communion ; and heals a demoniac. On the r. 
wall there are the scenes of the mystical marriage, of 
the re-establishment of the Papal See in Rome under 
Gregory XL, and of the submission of the Romans to 
Urban VL On the end wall, opposite the altar, the 
saint is canonised. 

Crossing the courtyard, we reach another chapel, built 
on the site of the garden. Over the altar is the 
Crucifix^ before which S. Catherine received the stigmata. 



326 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

On the right wall of the nave she is seen preaching to the 
Pope and assisting at his entry on the return to Rome. 

From Peruzzi's court a steep stair descends to the main 
street. Descending a few steps^ we enter a chapel, 
formerly Catherine's own room^ with the stone which 
served as a pillow^, her veil^ lantern^ haircloth habit and 
other personal relics. 

At the bottom of the stairs there is another chapel. 
Above the altar^ a fresco of S. Catherine receiving the 
stigmata^ by Bazzi. On the R. wall are two pictures by 
Pacchia, showing how S. Agnes of Montepulciano^ four 
days after deaths saluted S. Catherine by raising her right 
foot ; and how Dominican monks were rescued from 
brigands by the prayers of S. Catherine. On the l. wall^ 
the miracle of the Healing of Matteo di Ceni^ painted by 
Pacchia ; and Catherine saved from the Florentine 
soldiers; who were miraculously struck with blindness^ by 
Salimheni, 

On leaving the House return again to the Via delle 
Belle Arti;, and climb the hill to S. Domenico. 

The present church is a reconstruction on the site of the 
first church of 1226. It dates from various periods through- 
out the fourteenth and the first half of the fifteenth cen- 
turies. The campanile was built in 1340. Originally it 
was finished with a spire ; this disappeared early in the 
eighteenth century. The church is built without any 
architectural pretension ; it forms a striking pile of 
brickwork^ but the design is utilitarian. An enormous 
transept dwarfs the nave^ w^hile the eastern chapels are 
mere lay-to constructions on the transept. 

Interior. The nave is without aisles. On each side of 
the choir there are three chapels^ all opening out of the 
transept. The choir and chapels are vaulted ; the tran- 
sept and nave have wooden roofs. The interior is striking 
in its vast simplicity ; it reflects the minds of men who 
aroused the emotion of their age by preachings by devout 
livings and by ascetic exercises rather than by an appeal 
to grandiose decoration. It was unfortunate for the 



SIENA 327 

artists who decorated the Chapel of S. Catherine, in the 
sixteenth century, that their overcharged and tawdry 
efforts should be forced into such direct comparison with 
the magnificent severity of the church. 

The church is entered by a side door near the western 
end. On the western wall of the church is the door leading 
into the Cappella della Volte in which S. Catherine enjoyed 
spiritual experience. Over the altar is the picture of 
S. Catherine, painted by her friend, Andrea Vannt. She 
is in the habit of her order; in one hand she carries 
a spike of lily, the other shows the stigmata ; she gives 
her hand to a kneeling woman, who kisses it. The face 
of the saint is marked by gravity and strength of will. 
To the L. of the entrance of the chapel, part of an old 
stairway leading to it is shown. 

Return to the church. 

High on the wall above is a crucifix, by Sano dt Pietro. 

Holy water basin. The vase is attributed to Jacopo 
della Querela, and the support to Benedetto da Majano. 

Passing up the nave on the R. is the Chapel of S. Catherine, 
in which the head of the saint is preserved. Her body lies 
in Rome. On one side of the marble altar S. Catherine 
is overcome by the vision of Christ and swoons in the arms 
of attendant sisters ; on the other side she sees in ecstasy 
a vision of God the Father and Madonna with the Child 
in her arms. The frescoes are by Bazzi. 

Begin with the picture of the Ecstasy. The celestial 
beings are in Bazzi' s formal manner. They are meant to be 
beautiful ; they succeed at the best in being pretty. Be- 
neath, S. Catherine kneels, with two sisters ; these latter 
are mere conventional figures, but in the painting of the 
saint herself Bazzi has had a moment of emotion. Even in 
this figure he misses the depth of the saintly character, 
which Andrea Vanni manages to give us. 

On the other side of the altar-piece is the famous picture 
of the Swooning. Christ appears in the sky with out- 
stretched arms and flowing draperies, attended by a cloud 
of putti. The figure is painted with the artist's wonted 



328 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

cleverness ; the expression of handsome commonplace is 
irritating. At the foot of the column are the three women. 
S. Catherine is supported by two sisters. From the wounds 
on her hand shine rays of light ; on the ground lies the lily 
and open book. The naturalism of the group is obvious, 
but it is uninspired ; the faces of the three women are 
masks, unimaginative and insensitive. 

The picture to the l. represents the execution of Niccolo 
Tuldo, a Perugian youth accused of some offence against 
the Government of Siena. S. Catherine brought him 
spiritual consolation in prison and attended him at the 
block. The headless corpse lies on the ground, a monk 
holds up the head, the executioner sheathes his sword, the 
crowd stand behind a circle of armed soldiers. Angels 
bear the soul of Tuldo to heaven. In the foreground, 
S. Catherine kneels in prayer. Bazzi shows how cleverly 
he can paint the nude, how he can control movement, how 
he can paint handsome but uninteresting faces, but the 
design is hopelessly overcrowded and ineffective. The 
painting on the opposite wall, by Francesco Vanni, 
represents S. Catherine exorcising a possessed person. 

The subsidiary decoration is very elaborate ; nothing 
has been spared to add to the richness of the chapel. On 
the pavement is a design by Beccajumi. 

On the soffit of the entrance arch, Francesco Vanni, 
Fra Raimondo and Fra Tommaso ; S. Luke and S. Jerome 
are by Bazzi. 

The last altar on the r. side of the nave has a Nativity 
by Francesco di Giorgio ; the lunette is by Matteo di Gio- 
vanni ; and the predella by Fungai, 

Crossing the transept to the second chapel on the r. of 
the choir, crucifix, by Giovanni da Bologna ; on the walls 
coats-of-arms of German students in the university who 
have died in Siena. 

Choir, The marble tabernacle over the high altar, 
with delicately carved reliefs of the Four Evangelists, is by 
Benedetto da Majano, so also are the two charming angels 
supporting candlesticks on either side of the altar. From^ 




Photograph: Anderson 

THE ECSTASY OF S. THERESA 

(By Bernini. Rome) 

Compare with " The Ecstasy of S. Catheiine" by Bazzi, S. Domenico, 

Siena 



SIENA 329 

a window behind the altar there is a fine view of the 
Duomo^ etc. 

In the second chapel to the l. of the high altar are two 
interesting pictures. To the r.^ S. Barbara enthroned and 
crowned by angels^ with S. Mary Magdalen to the r. and 
S. Catherine of Alexandria to the l.^, by Matteo di Gio- 
vanni (1479). Ii^ ttie lunette above^ Adoration of the Magi. 
On the L._, Madonna and Child^ by Benvenuto di Giovanni, 
To the R._, SS. Sebastian and Jerome ; to the l.^ SS. Rocco 
and Gregory the Great. In the lunette is a Pieta. The 
picture has an air of formal devotion. 

In the third chapel to the l. of the choir^ unframed altar- 
piece^ by Matteo di Giovanni] Madonna and Child^ with 
S. John and Jerome. Angels kneeling in front hold vases 
with flames ; others^ above^ have flaming horns of plenty. 

The Via Cavour, and northern part of the city, 
S. Cristoforo^ opposite to the Palazzo Tolomei, in the 
Via Cavour. In the times of the Republic the council of 
war used to hold its meetings in this church ; and on the 
eve of the battle of Monteaperto there was a memorable 
gathering, when it was decided to answer the insulting 
message of the enemy by an immediate attack. The 
citizens were fired with patriotic enthusiasm, and prepared 
themselves for every sacrifice. Double pay was offered 
to the German soldiers sent by King Manfred, and one 
of the citizens, Salimbene Salimbeni, hurried from the 
church, and returned shortly with a gaily decorated cart 
laden with money. From the steps of the church the chief 
magistrate made a solemn invocation to Mary, " Queen of 
Eternal Life," and, followed by the people, went bare- 
footed as a penitent to the Duomo, where at the altar the 
city and contado were offered as a gift to the Virgin Mother 
of God. Within the church, on the l. wall, is an altar- 
piece by Del Pacchia^ Madonna and Child, with SS. Luke 
and Raimondi. Over the entrance to the sacristy is a 
figure of S. Galgano, in terra-cotta. In the sacristy is a 
fifteenth-century picture of S. George and the Dragon. A 



330 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

picture of S. Christopher, by an artist of the Sienese school, 
in the R. transept, should be noticed. 

S. Maria della Neve. This small chapel, in the Via 
Cavour, is usually closed. The key may be readily obtained 
at a shop opposite. The altar-piece is by Matteo di Gio- 
vanni, Before Madonna and Child, S. Catherine of Siena 
and S. Lorenzo kneel ; at the side of the throne, SS. Peter 
and John Evangelist; behind, angels carry vases full 
of snow. The picture is intended to commemorate the 
founding of the Church of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome, 
when Pope Liberius found the spot marked for him by a 
miraculous fall of snow. The scenes in the predella are : 
(i) The miraculous fall of snow. (2) The Pope hews out 
the foundation. (3) The Pope holds the figures of Madonna 
and Child for the adoration of the people at the dedication. 

The Church of S. Stefano is close to the Lizza. 

The altar-piece is by Andrea Vanni, Madonna and 
Child. To the l., SS. Stephen and James ; to the R., SS. John 
and Bartholomew ; above each of the four saints is the bust 
of an Evangelist. Christ appears in the central cusp, 
with an Annunciation. In the other cusps are SS. Peter, 
Paul, Anthony the Abbot and another saint. The predella 
is not by Vanni. The design is poor and lifeless ; never- 
theless the painting is a fine example of the effect of colour, 
gilding and setting, which was so well understood by the 
Sienese. 

The Church of Fonte Giusta lies to the l. of the Via di 
Camellia, not far from the Porta Camellia. 

The marble altar-piece over the high altar is a good 
example of the work of Marrina, Note the fine frieze of 
grifiins. Below is the Pieta. 

The paintings to the l. and R. of the altar represent the 
birth and death of the Virgin. 

Above, the Annunciation; and in the lunette. Assump- 
tion of the Virgin, by Fungai, 

The other pictures in the church are, to the l., the Sibyl 



SIENA 331 

points out the Vision to Augustus^ by Baldassare Peruzzi, 
Madonna and Child protect Siena to the r. 

The Visitation^ by Fr. Vanni, Coronation of the Virgin, 
by Fungai, 

In a small room at the back, a shield and spear and an 
enormous bone, said to have been brought home by 
Christopher Columbus, are preserved. 

In the eastern part of the city. 

S. Pietro Ovile. (This church is in the Via del Giglio, 
which is entered from the Piazza Tolomei.) 

There are two pleasing pictures in the church. Over 
the altar in the second chapel to the R. is a copy of Simone 
Martini's Annunciation, now in the Uffizi Gallery. 

In the chapel opposite is an altar-piece, with a gilt back- 
ground, of Madonna and Child, with SS. John the Baptist 
and Bernardino. Over the entrance door there is a crucifix 
in the style of the fourteenth century. 

To reach the picturesque Porta Ovile and the Fonte 
Ovile, pass down the Via dei Rossi, leading to the plea- 
santly shaded Piazza of S. Francesco. To the l. there is 
a beautiful view over the surrounding country, with the 
Church of the Osservanza on the other side of the valley. 
Immediately below is the Porta Ovile. 

S. Francesco. It is a vast brick structure of the 
fourteenth century, pointed in style, severe and simple. 
Over the entrance door, statue of S. Francis, by Ramo 
di Paganello, In the western facade there is a small 
rose window ; the nave is lighted by plain pointed two- 
light windows. The nave and transept have wooden 
roofs, the choir and chapels at the eastern end are vaulted. 

Interior. The nave is a striking example of the effect 
which may be gained by simplicity ; the space is practically 
unbroken by altar or monument or chapel. The choir is 
small. There are four chapels on each side opening out of 
the transept, as at S. Croce in Florence. The red-brick 
pavement gives a pleasant note of warm colour. 

On the R. wall, close to the entrance, is a fresco under an 



332 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

arch^ the Visitation^ attributed to Taddeo Bartolo ; it is a 
pleasantly coloured picture^ simple and sincere in sentiment. 

Farther on is a niche with damaged frescoes. 

Pass up the nave and cross the transept to the fourth 
and last chapel to the l. of the choir. Charming fresco^ by 
Ambrogto Lorenzettt, originally in the cloister. Madonna 
does not resemble Ambrogio's usual type^ but the solemn 
Child grasping her forefinger shows the painter's sym- 
pathetic understanding of the relationship between mother 
and Child. 

Third chapel to l. of the choir (the Bandini Piccolomini^ 
note the coats-of-arms). There are two frescoes by Ambrogto 
Lorenzetti, much damaged^ and repainted. On the l.^ the 
Martyrdom of Six Franciscans by the Mussulmans at 
Ceuta. The building represents a pagan temple^ with idols 
on the roof. The king sits on a throne^ holding his sword 
across his knees. The spectators express astonishment^ 
curiosity^ and distress^ with some success. On the opposite 
wall S. Francis kneels before the Pope in presence of a king 
and several cardinals. 

In the chapel next the choir^ to the l.^ Crucifixion^ by 
Pietro Lorenzetti. Very little of the original colour is left^ 
but the expression of grief on the faces of the women and 
the desperate gesture of the bewailing angel are character- 
istic of Pietro. The feet are separate^, and rest on a support^ 
an unusual detail in fourteenth-century pictures. Two of 
the soldiers have hexagonal nimbuses. 

In the choir, portrait busts in relief of Silvio Piccolomini 
and Vittoria Forteguerri, the parents of Pope Pius II. 

The first chapel to the r. of the choir, altar-piece, attri- 
buted to Pietro Lorenzetti, Madonna and Child painted on 
a gilt background. 

Second chapel to R. of choir, tomb on the wall, by 
Urbano da Cortojia, 1487. 

Third chapel to r. of choir, small relief, Mary Magdalen, 
supported by angels. 

In the sacristy, small lavabo of the sixteenth century ; 
and fragments of fresco, by Bazzi. 



SIENA 333 

From the side door in the r. wall of the nave enter the 
cloister of the Seminario. On the wall, a bas-relief, by 
CozzarelU, Madonna and Child with coats-of-arms in the 
corners. 

Over the altar in the chapel. Madonna and Child, by 
Ambrogio Lorenzetti. On the l. wall, fresco of Madonna, 
with SS. Francis, John Baptist, Catherine of Alexandria 
and Gherardo. 

At the end of the corridor there is an unusually fine 
view over the country to the south of Siena. 

In the second cloister there is a picturesque well and a 
pretty garden. 

In the Sala di Ricevemento there is a small picture, 
attributed to Andrea del Sarto. 

In the piazza, to the r., is the Oratory of S. Bernardino. 

Enter the chapel on the ground floor. On the roof is a 
picture by Francesco Vanni, SS. Catherine and Bernardino 
kneel in the foreground, with the towers of Siena in the 
background. Over the altar. Madonna and Child, with 
SS. Bartolommeo and Ansano, by Bresctanino. Mount 
the stairs. At the top is an altar, with Madonna and 
Child, by Sano di Pietro. Opposite to it a small 
marble relief. Madonna and Child, with attendant angels, 
by Giovanni di Agostino, probably a work of about 1334, 
showing the influence of Niccolo Pisano ; note the broad 
and simple surfaces of the draperies and the unaffected 
air of the figures. 

On a screen there is a banner painted hyBazzi, Madonna 
della Stella, on one side ; on the other, the symbol of 
S. Bernardino, with two kneeling Franciscans. Enter 
the large hall, and begin opposite to the door. 

In the corner, close to the window, S. Louis of Toulouse, 
by Bazzi, Next to this, the Nativity of the Virgin, by 
Pacchia, perhaps his most successful work. 

The Presentation in the Temple, by Bazzi, The figure in 
the foreground, to the L., is a good example of the painter's 
manner. 



334 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The Marriage of the Virgin; by Beccafumi. A most un- 
satisfactory picture. 

In the corner ; S. Bernardino; attributed to Bazzi, but 
probably by Pacchia. 

The wall at the end of the room has the Virgin enthroned; 
by Beccafumi, The angel Gabriel and the Virgin; on either 
side; are poor paintingS; by Pacchia. 

On the wall of entrance; next to the altar; S. Anthony of 
Padua; by Bazzi ; also the Visitation; by the same artist. 

Death of the Virgin; by Beccafumi. Another unpleasant 
picture by this painter. 

The Assumption of the Virgin; by Bazzi. This is the 
best picture in the room. The design is closely knit. The 
groups of Apostles at each side of the tomb are effective; 
and although Madonna herself is an indifferent figure; the 
work as a whole is distinctly striking. 

In the corner next to the window^; S. Francis ; by Bazzi. 

On the end wall; between the windowS; the Coronation of 
the Virgin; by Bazzi. The figure of the Virgin reaches an 
unusual level of sincerity and gracC; and there are through- 
out the picture reminiscences of the tradition of the 
Milanese followers of Leonardo. The design, however; is 
overcrowded; and the figures in the foreground; to the R. 
and L.; together with that of the Father Eternal; are in- 
harmonious almost to the verge of the grotesque. Such a 
picture does not stand or fall on consideration of its detail. 
It is not this or that figure that affects uS; so much as the 
whole design ; it is here that Bazzi's imagination failed. 
He cannot show us the plains of heaven nor the hosts of the 
blessed ; he has had no vision of the Eternal Light. 

The general effect of the room is extremely fine. The 
freedom of Bazzi's design; his large method of handling; 
his facile command of colour; all lend themselves to mag- 
nificent decoration. 

Excursions from Siena 

The Monastery of the Osservanza may be reached by 
driving from Siena in about thirty minuteS; or; if the visitor 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 335 

leaves the town by the Porta Ovile, he will find it a 
pleasant walk. The monastery was built for S. Ber- 
nardino in 1423, and added to by Pandolfo Petrucci in 1485. 
The sacristy is said to have been built for Pandolfo in 
1497, and it is there that the visitor may begin. Over 
the altar in the sacristy there is a Pieta^ ascribed to Gia- 
como Cozzarelli, made in life-size figures^ w^ith a painted 
landscape background. There is an unusual freedom from 
exaggerated expression^ and the work is less painful than 
such things usually are. In a small room to the l._, a 
lavabo^ by Vecchietta, 

Descend to the crypt beneath the sacristy^ a burial- 
place of some of the noble Sienese families ; the last ci 
the Petrucci was buried here a few years ago. A tor^b 
sculptured in travertine ^ to the r.^ is a pleasing exampV^ of 
Renaissance taste. In another part of the cr}^t thf j cell 
of S. Bernardino is preserved. Behind it is a fresco of the 
Last Judgment^ attributed (probably without aut^hority) 
to Luca Signorelli. 

Return to the church in the r. aisle. 

Second chapel in r. aisle contains an unpleas; mt repro- 
duction of a Pieta with life-size figures. 

Third chapel in R. aisle. Crucifixion^ ascribe d to Riccio, 

Fourth chapel. A very decorative panel;, c n gilt back- 
ground; by Sassetta, Madonna and Child, with SS. Ambrose 
and Jerome. 

At the high altar. Annunciation^ in Delia . Robbia ware, 
Madonna to the l., Gabriel to the r. B-oth figures are 
strong, simple, and free from false sentiment; they repre- 
sent a good tradition of fifteenth-century work. On the 
wall behind the high altar there are busf.s of SS. Francis 
and Bernardino. 

Beneath the dome there are copies fro:m work originally 
made by the school of the della Robbia ,;, representing the 
Four Evangelists. 

Under the altar is preserved the habit of S. Bernardino. 

Pass into the l. aisle. 

Fourth chapel from the entrance.. Hadonna and Child, 



336 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

with SS. John Baptist, Francis, Peter and John Evan- 
gelist, by Giovanni di Bartolo, Below, busts representing 
SS. Chiara, Francis, Peter, John, Christopher, etc., with a 
Pieta in the centre. 

Third chapel in the l. aisle. Madonna and Child, with 
SS. Jerome and Bernardino (the latter is said to be the 
most authentic portrait of the saint), by Sano di Pietro. 

Second chapel in the l. aisle. Altar-piece, perhaps by 
Luca delta Rohbia, but more usually assigned to Andrea] 
Coronation of the Virgin. Below, SS. Jerome, Anthony of 
Padua, Chiara, Catherine of Alexandria (?) and Francis. 
In the predella, the Annunciation, Nativity and Assump- 
tion of the Virgin. The figures are in white, with some 
enrichment of gold on the draperies ; the background is a 
deep, rich blue of extraordinary beauty. The angels, who 
blow trumpets at the act of Coronation, are free and grace- 
ful in movement. A glow of simple feeling harmonises the 
whole. Seldom has the love and joy and ecstasy of the con- 
summation of spiritual life been rendered with such 
beauty. The figure of S. Francis expresses the passion of 
existence with unusual force. 

First altar in the l. aisle. 

Madonna and Child, by Sano di Pietro. A picture of 
some charm. Note the unusual depth of colour. 

Belcaro and II Monastero. A pleasant afternoon drive 
may be made to the Villa of Belcaro, about four miles 
distant from Siena, returning by way of the Abbey of 
S. Eugenic, commonly called II Monastero. Leaving the 
town by the Porta Fonte Branda, the road passes through 
a charming country of vineyard and olive plantations. 
The approach to the villa, under thick masses of ilex-trees, 
is very picturesque. Through the courtesy of the present 
owners, visitors are admitted to the court, and may 
ascend to the battlements which rise above the dense 
foliage of the ilex-l:rees. From here there is a magnificent 
and extensive view. In the wall at the top of the stairs 
are several cannon balls, trophies of the great siege in 1554^ 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 337 

when Belcaro was defended by a handful of French 
soldiers against the Imperial forces. In an apartment on 
the ground floor is a roof paintings by Baldassare Peruzzi, 
of the Judgment of Paris. We pass through the character- 
istically enclosed Italian garden to the chapel^ which has 
frescoes^ by Peruzzi, of Madonna, with a group of saints. 
A loggia in the garden is picturesquely decorated with 
frescoes. 

Leaving the villa, we descend rapidly, and mount the 
hill slopes opposite, to II Monastero. 

The building was originally a Benedictine Monastery. It 
was fortified by the Sienese in the war with the Emperor 
of 1554. It is now the property of the Guiccioli family. 

We pass through the garden into the cloisters, and from 
thence into the church, where there are two or three inter- 
esting pictures. In the r. aisle against the entrance hall, 
S. Helena adoring the Cross, by Riccio ; a Pieta, by 
Pacchtarottt ; the Resurrection, by Matteo di Giovanni {?). 

In the chapel at the end is a Madonna and Child, wath 
two angels, attributed to Francesco di Giorgio. Crossing 
the nave, in the chapel, at the end of the aisle is a beautiful 
and authentic work, by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, of Madonna 
and Child. The Child Christ, dressed in a little red frock, 
clasps His arms round His mother's neck, and she gazes at 
Him with the intense, penetrating look which characterises 
the Madonna of the Lorenzetti brothers. Passing down 
the L. aisle, there is a fresco of the Crucifixion by Matteo 
di Giovanni ; and the Bearing of the Cross, by Bazzi, 

In the sacristy is a Madonna and Child, attributed to 
Duccio, perhaps a copy. 

The return to Siena is by the Porta S. Marco. 

The most interesting of the near excursions is that to the 
Convent of Lecceto and the Church of S. Leonardo al 
Lago. The road lies past Belcaro, crossing the deep 
valley beyond and mounting up the steep hill on the 
opposite side through woods of ilex. The drive takes 
about one and a half hours, with a short climb on foot 
along a well-marked path up to the convent. The build- 



338 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

ings are now used as a summer retreat for the students of 
the seminary in Siena. 

In the porch there is a series of frescoes describing the 
drama of Hfe, from the monastic point of view. At one 
end the# wicked are cast into eternal fire ; at the other a 
monk is received into glory. At the one end the people 
who come out of the city of this world spend their time 
in violence, riotousness and lawlessness, banqueting, 
feasting, hunting. We see the chariot of pleasure, the 
market, robbery, courts of law, soldiers attacking a 
castle, devils urging ship against ship. These lead to the 
fate of those who are hurled down into hell. On the other 
hand a monk, holding a skull, preaches ; the crowd, follow- 
ing the example of Christ, take up their crosses. Then 
follows the life of good works, clothing the naked, visiting 
the sick, relieving prisoners, leading up to monkly life, 
monkly discipline and ecstasy. At last the monk, sur- 
rounded by a glory of angels, sees the vision of God and the 
ranks of the blessed in the Holy City. 

Enter the first cloister above which the campanile rises. 
Pass through to the second cloister. In it there is a pic- 
turesque well, also the remains of frescoes. It is possible 
to distinguish the celebration of Baptism and Extreme 
Unction, also S. Augustine giving his rule. One fresco is 
connected with the novitiate of the Prior Giovanni di 
Guccio, who found it impossible to eat the rough food of 
the convent. After prayer the boy thought it wiser to fly 
in time, before he had taken his vows. He set out, and in 
the ilex woods he met an old man, who asked him whither 
he went. The boy confessed. Then the old man showed 
the five wounds and bade the boy go back, and when he 
found anything hard to bear to return to the place where 
they stood. 

Another picture shows how the Prior Bandino saw a 
robber steal the ass belonging to the convent. As it was 
the time when silence was imposed, he could do nothing 
but go into the church and pray for the robber. The 
robber meanwhile went his way with the ass, but when 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 339 

nearly out of the wood, the beast would go no farther. 
The robber, in fear of being caught, left it. To his terror 
he found himself surrounded by some invisible power. He 
was struck with compunction, returned to the convent, 
and, confessing his sin, he was pardoned, the prior and 
robber parting with an embrace. 

From a loggia in the upper part of the building there is 
an extensive view. 

From Lecceto the excursion may be extended to S. 
Leonardo al Lago. The carriage can be sent round by the 
road and the visitor will find a beautiful path through the 
woods leading more directly to S. Leonardo. Within the 
church are frescoes, attributed to the school of the Loren- 
zetti. The church is only opened when Mass is said, or by 
arrangement. The ruins of the convent are scanty. 

PONTE ALLA SpINA, RoSIA AND TORRI 

The drive from Siena to Ponte alia Spina occupies from 
one and a half to two hours. 

At Ponte alia Spina the mass of time-stained building is 
harmonious and striking. Abutting on the church a small 
courtyard is formed by the remains of ecclesiastical 
buildings, now used as ordinary dwelling-places, and for 
farm purposes. Some well-designed two-light windows 
with good capitals suggest the Cistercian influence of 
S. Galgano. The interior of the church has been restored 
without destroying its Romanesque character, the most 
serious change being the substitution of rectangular 
modern windows for the small round-headed slits still 
remaining in the clerestory. The bays on each side of the 
choir are roofed with ungroined vaulting. The choir is 
raised some feet above the level of the nave and is covered 
with a waggon vault. The aisles and nave have wooden 
roofs, but the strong piers of the nave arcade and the 
heavy cornice suggest that at one time the intention may 
have been to vault the nave. The capitals in the nave 
are massive in design. In some cases the edges have merely 



340 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

been champfered ; in others a design has been cut with the 
point of the chisel. On one there are human figures^, but 
the decoration is of an elementary kind. The campanile 
rises from foundations within the church. 

Sovicille. About half-an-hour from Ponte alia Spina is 
the little town of Sovicille. The church has been restored 
in the pointed style. On the r. wall of the nave there is a 
fresco in the style of some follower of Beccafumi, Madonna 
and Child; with SS. Christopher^ Jerome, Agatha and 
Martin. 

Rosia. About three-quarters of an hour from Sovicille 
is the small town of Rosia. The campanile is of striking 
design. In the fagade of the church there are three 
narrow round-headed windows. The font to the R. of the 
door is in the form of a small sarcophagus, sculptured with 
a Baptism of Christ, with five angels in attendance. On 
the L. wall of the nave a small picture of Madonna and 
Child is by Matteo di Giovanni, 

Torri. Torri consists of a church, a villa, and a small 
number of houses picturesquely situated on the hillside ; 
it is about half-an-hour from Rosia. The church contains 
a quantity of pointed building ; note the admirable treat- 
ment of the windows on the southern side. The main 
interest of the place is the small cloister built in three 
storeys, the first in black and white marble, the second with 
octagonal stone pillars and brickwork, the third with post 
and lintel. The capitals of the lower storey form a 
remarkably interesting collection of early decoration ; 
some are carved with subjects such as the Temptation and 
Fall and the offerings of Cain and Abel, others are adorned 
with symbolical subjects, such as birds with intertwined 
necks and similar Romanesque designs. The decoration of 
foliage is always interesting and sometimes beautiful. 
The arches and string courses are built or inlaid with 
different coloured marbles. The scene is gay with colour, 
with the play of light and shade in the archways, with the 
imagination of some unknown sculptor. 

The return from Torri to Siena takes about two hours. 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 341 

Just before entering the Porta Romana the Church of 
S. Maria in Belem is on the l. side of the road. The fagade 
is in brick^ with round-headed windows of narrow dimen- 
sion. The interior has been restored in the pointed style. 
Over the high altar is Madonna^ with jewelled crown over 
the ordinary blue robe and veil. 

MONTERIGGIONI^ BaDIA lTsOLA AND StAGGIA 

From Siena it takes about one hour to drive to Monte- 
riggioni (the station of Castellina is not far off). This 
castellated village stands on the top of a low hill ; the 
houses are practically hidden by the ancient walls, which 
are still complete, with two entrance gates. The Castello 
was begun early in the thirteenth century ; it was restored 
by the Spaniards in 1545, and again by Filippo Strozzi in 
the last struggle with the Imperialists. 

Badia I'lsola. At little more than a mile from Monte- 
riggioni lie the church and village of Badia ITsola. The 
Abbey was founded in the year looi, by Ava, widow of 
Hildebrand, lord of Staggia. A few houses are gathered 
round the remains of the monastery ; the church to which 
it was attached has suffered much. The east end is now 
enclosed by a wall carried across the building ; outside, the 
foundations show the ground plan of the ancient apse, 
which had a diameter of about 16 feet, w4th three very 
narrow slits as windows. In spite of this damage the 
church still has an air of simplicity and severity. There is 
quality and character which react on the imagination ; 
for the moment the traveller escapes from himself. The 
nave has a wooden roof, the nave arcade is formed of piers 
and pillars alternately, the capitals for the most part are 
little more than champfered blocks, the arches of the nave 
are bold in construction, the surfaces throughout are 
simplified .\| 

The picture to the r. on entering represents Madonna 
and Child according to early Sienese tradition. There has 
been controversy about the authorship, some regarding it 



342 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

as a painting by Duccto, while others describe it as a school 
picture. 

Over the high altar^ Madonna and Child^ with SS. 
Donatus and Justina on the r. and SS. Cirinus and Bene- 
dict to the L. On the predella^ a Pieta^ and scenes from the 
lives of the above-mentioned saints. The whole design is 
arranged under three pointed arches^ painted by Sano di 
Pietro. On the l. wall, Assumption of the Virgin, by 
Vecchietta. To the r., S. Sebastian and another saint; to 
the L., S. Bernardino and a Dominican. The baptismal 
font of 1401 is carved with a Baptism of Christ and with 
coats-of-arms. 

The exterior of the building has suffered with the in- 
terior. The masonry of the western facade shows, traces 
of a circular window. The gable carries the canopy for the 
bells ; it is finished with the usual Romanesque cornice, with 
remains of a sculptured string course. The buildings have 
at one time been surrounded by a deep ditch or moat. The 
poplars that grow in it form in spring a delicate screen of 
pale green. 

Staggia. It takes about three-quarters of an hour to 
drive from Badia ITsola to Staggia, a small walled town 
with a castle. The fortifications are due to the Florentines, 
for whom the work was carried out by Brunellescht, in 
1 43 1, probably in connection with the war which Piccinino 
was pursuing at that time on behalf of the Visconti of 
Milan. The tower, the circular keep, and the walls, make 
a most picturesque setting for the little town. 

The return drive from Staggia to Siena occupies about 
two hours. 

Monte Oliveto Maggiore 

The Monastery of Monte Oliveto may be reached by 
driving all the way from Siena, along a rather uninteresting 
road, with the opportunity, however, of visiting the town 
of Buonconvento on the way ; or the visitor may go by 
rail to Asciano, and drive from there ; or he may walk from 
the station of S. Giovanni d'Asso, which is nearest to the 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 343 

monastery. (The finding of a conveyance at S. Giovanni 
is doubtful.) 

The road from Siena as far as Buonconvento is the high- 
way from Florence to Rome. The entrance to the town 
of Buonconvento is through a fine gateway. In the 
church there are some interesting pictures. Over the high 
altar^ Madonna and Child, by Matteo di Giovanni. In the 
R. aisle, Coronation of the Virgin. At the end of this aisle, 
a small Madonna and Child. In the l. aisle, Annunciation, 
with SS. Anthony and Francis, by Girolamo di Benvenuto ; 
also an Assumption of the Virgin, with the four Doctors and 
other saints. In a side chapel to the l. of the altar. Annun- 
ciation, and Madonna and child, with SS. John the Baptist, 
Peter, Paul and Sebastian, by Pacchiarotto, 

At Buonconvento the visitor leaves the main road ; the 
rest of the way is up a steep hill until the precincts of the 
monastery are entered, through a castellated gateway. 
The buildings stand on a promontory surrounded by deep 
gorges, full, in springtime, of rich foliage. Behind, the 
course of the mountain-side is lined with cypress ; vines do 
not seem to flourish very readily, but olives are evidently 
the growth of centuries. Spacious cloisters within the 
buildings give light and air to dormitories and corridors, 
so that externally the mass of the house has the dignity of 
comparatively unbroken walls, with the campanile at one 
corner. 

The history of the place dates back to 131 3, when Gio- 
vanni Tolomei,with two companions, retired from the world 
and settled here in what is usually described as a desert. 

Enter the small cloister and pass on to the greater 
cloister, in which Signorelli and Bazzi painted the' story of 
S. Benedict. The pictures of the early life of the saint are 
by Bazzi (1505). 

(i) Benedict sets out from his father's house, the nurse 
following on a mule. 

(2) Benedict abandons the teaching of the Roman 
schools. 

(3) Benedict miraculously mends the broken sieve. 



344 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(4) S. Romano gives the habit to Benedict. 

(5) Food is let down to Benedict in his cave^ the devil 
breaks the bell which gives him warning. 

(6) A priest brings food at Easter. 

(7) Benedict preaches to the peasants. 

(8) He throws himself among thorns so that he may 
resist temptation ; an angel drives off the devil. 

(9) He preaches to monks or hermits who chose him as 
their head. 

(10) He detects the poisoned cup offered to him and 
returns to his own place. 

(11) He builds twelve monasteries. 

(12) He receives Maurus and Placidus. 

(13) Benedict chastens the monk who has been drawn 
from church by the devil. 

(14) Benedict finds water for monks from some of the 
dependent monasteries. 

(15) He recovers the head of the axe. 

(16) Maurus is commanded to save Placidus from 
drowning. 

(17) Of uncertain import. 

(18) Florentius tempts Benedict with poisoned bread. 

(19) Florentius sends evil women to the monastery. 

(20) An inferior fresco^ by Riccio, son-in-law of Bazzi. 
Maurus and Placidus sent out on mission. 

(21) By Stgnorelli. How God punished Florentius ; the 
devil breaks down the church. 

(22) By Stgnorelli. Benedict evangelises the people of 
Monte Cassino ; the monks prepare to throw down the 
statue of Apollo. 

(23) By Stgnorelli. Benedict drives off the demon who 
prevents the moving of the stone. 

(24) By Signorelli. Benedict restores the monk who 
has fallen under a wall. 

(25) By Signorelli. Benedict rebukes monks who have 
eaten outside of the monastery. 

(26) Benedict reproves the brother of Valerian for 
having broken hrs fast. 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 345 

(27) By Signorelli, Benedict detects the false Totila. 

(28) By Stgnorelli. Benedict receives the true Totila. 

(29) A fresco by SignorelUy through which a door has 
been broken. 

The rest of the frescoes are by Bazzi, 

(30) Benedict preaches the destruction of Monte 
Cassino. 

(31) He miraculously provides flour for the monks. 

(32) He appears in a dream to two distant brethren and 
commands them to build a monastery. 

(33) Benedict excommunicates two nunS; who^ being 
buried in church, rise and go out when Mass is said ; Bene- 
dict absolves them. 

(34) He lays the host on the body of a dead monk. 

(35) He pardons a monkwho has fled from the monastery 
and returns, having met a dragon. 

(36) Benedict frees a peasant who has been bound by 
soldiers. 

In the hall which leads from the cloister to the church 
there are pictures of Christ at the column and Christ 
bearing the cross. The sculptured group of Madonna and 
Child is ascribed to a follower of Mino da Fiesole. 

On the stairs leading to the library there is a Coronation 
of the Virgin, by Bazzi. The library is a fine hall, with 
vaulted roof and two rows of columns. A picture of 
Madonna and Child is in the style of the school of Duccio. 
In the Sala Capitolare there is a fresco of 1540 by Antonio 
da Bologna, Madonna and Child, with a number of saints. 
In a small chapel there are frescoes, attributed to the school 
of Bazzi. The view from the window is very fine. 

S. Galgano 

The picturesque ruin of the Church of S. Galgano makes 
an interesting excursion from Siena. It is reached by 
carriage in about three hours. The route crosses a number 
of small valleys formed by the streams which flow into 
the Arbia and Merse, tributaries of the Ombrone. 



346 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The road passes between II Monastero on the l. and the 
woods of Lecceto on the r. From the first ridge we see 
the wooded mountain range of Mont Agnolo, with the river 
Luco at the base winding through fertile land. We then 
pass to the l.^ through the small town of Rosia ; the churchy 
which is modernised; has a fine campanile^ and in the in- 
terior is a font in the shape of a sarcophagus ^ with a carving 
of the Baptism. From here the road follows the torrent 
of the Rosia and climbs the slopes of Mont Agnolo, among 
ilex woods. The summit of the plateau is reached in about 
an hour from Rosia^ having passed the ruined castle of 
Mont' Arrenti; some large marble quarries^ and an antimony 
mine on the way. At this point the hill towns of Belforte 
on the R. and Chiusdino on the L. come into view. The 
road descends rapidly to the Villa Frosini. Turn to the l., 
take the road to Massa Marittima (about three hours' dis- 
tance); and in a few minutes reach the ruins of the Church 
of S. GalganO; standing in a desolate surrounding in the 
valley of the river Merse. 

The remains of the monastic buildings are now used by the 
farmers of the surrounding land . Pass through an iron gate, 
straight into the churchy with its grass-grown pavement 
and its mighty roofless walls tufted with plants and shrubs. 

The first ecclesiastical foundation was on Montesiepi;, a 
few minutes' walk from the church. It was to this spot 
that S. Galgano retired. The chapel^ round in form^ was 
built in 1 184 by the Bishop of Volterra. Within is pre- 
served the sword of S. Galgano and the stone into which 
he struck it. From the chapel there is a wide view over 
the Tuscan Maremma. 

The monks who settled on Montesiepi began to build 
the church and monastery in the early part of the thir- 
teenth century. The date of foundation is given as 12 18. 
In 1228 the infirmary had been built, in 1229 the monastery 
is spoken of as a dwelling-place^ and in 1261 the church was 
in a forward state of construction, although the buildings 
as a whole were not completed for many years. The monks, 
who were Cistercians, followed the design which the 




Photograph : Brogi 

POINTED WINDOW OPENINGS 

(From the Campanile, Florence) 
Compare with the windows iji the Cistercian Church at S. Galgano 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 347 

brethren of the order brought with them from Burgundy. 
The monastic buildings of the Cistercians at Fossanova 
(1187-1210)^ at Casimari (consecrated in 1217)^ at Chiara- 
valle near Milan (consecrated in 1221), and other founda- 
tions of the early thirteenth century gave a powerful 
impulse to the use of the pointed style in Italy. The first 
builder at S. Galgano^ a certain JohanneS; is said to have 
come from Casimari. There is a difference in the quality 
of material used in various parts of the work^ and it has 
been suggested that the best material and the finest build- 
ing may have been due to this first builder. The church 
was one of the more important of the Cistercian buildings ; 
it is about 230 feet long within the walls^ while the tran- 
sept is about 106 feet measured across the church. The 
nave is divided into eight bays ; there is no triforium^ but 
there is a range of small round-headed windows between 
the nave arcade and the clerestory. The two bays of the 
nave nearest to the transept differ from the other six^ the 
clerestory has small single-light pointed windows with a 
rose above ; the clerestory of the other six bays has large 
two-light pointed windows. The eastern end of the church 
is square^ lighted by six pointed windows and a rose 
window ; the frequent use of round windows in the choir 
and transept is noteworthy. The walls of the church are 
buttressed throughout. In some cases stone of different 
colour has been built in courses ; there is^ however^ no 
definite attempt at striping as in the Duomo at Siena. 

Ruined churches are not common in Italy. It is parti- 
cularly unfortunate that such a fate should have befallen 
this fine example of the change in style which passed over 
Italy in the thirteenth century. It has been considered 
to be the model for the Duomo at Siena^ and although in 
that particular case the difference is at least as evident as 
the likeness there can be little doubt that it exercised an 
influence throughout Tuscany. The visitor will be struck 
by the delicacy of form, the justness of proportion^, the 
severe simplicity, alike in detail, and in the monument as a 
whole. 



348 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

By the end of the fourteenth century the Abbey had 
begun to decHne. In 1503 Pope JuUus II. gave it to one 
of his cardinals^ and after that the revenue flowed to Rome. 
The tower fell in 1786^ and the building ceased to be conse- 
crated in 1789. 

As in the case of many other saints^ S. Galgano was the 
child of prayer. He was born in 1148^ in the village of 
Chiusdino. In his youth^ like many other saints also^ he 
lived only for his pleasure, was vain, quarrelsome, dis- 
obedient to his parents and a rebel to God. One night 
he fell asleep on a bale of wool in a merchant's shop, and 
S. Michael appeared to him and told him that he should 
become one of his celestial militia. Galgano, much moved 
by the fear of death and of the certain judgment, told his 
mother of the vision, and, helped by her prayers and warn- 
ings, he resolved to turn from the way of the devil and 
repent of his sins. In a short time, however, he grew 
weary of prayers and fasting and fell back into ungodliness. 
Then the Archangel appeared a second time while he slept, 
and showed him a great river crossed by a narrow bridge, 
and under the bridge was a great mill, grinding eternally. 
On the other shore was a beautiful meadow, at the foot of 
a hill covered with flowers ; and on the hill was a great 
house where the Son of God sat with the Queen of Heaven, 
our advocate, and the Twelve Apostles. Then it was 
revealed to Galgano that the river was the stream of 
human life caught in the mill of time and death, and the 
bridge was the narrow way that leads to heaven by the 
grace of God. Galgano, in great fear, said to his mother 
that he must leave his home and offer himself as a sacrifice 
to God by penitence. His mother, grieved by such excess 
of devotion, persuaded him with entreaties to remain with 
her and to take a wife. Galgano set out to visit his bride, 
but on the way his horse was stayed and knelt down before 
S. Michael, who turned its head towards Montesiepi. 
Then a great clearness came into Galgano 's mind, and he 
knew that he must leave the world and live in some 
solitary place, possessing nothing, so that his soul might be 



EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 349 

freed from all earthly cares. He stayed on Montesiepi/ 
living upon roots and berries. He t)ecame a hermit, a 
romitO; following in the way that many other spiritual 
souls had taken from the Anchorites of the Thebaid to S. 
Benedict. Having stripped himself of all that the senses 
and the flesh could desire, he strove to bring his will into 
harmony, loving all that he had loathed, and loathing all 
that he had loved, so that prayer and praise to God should 
take the place of all he had thrown away, and be dearer 
to him than any earthly happiness. Like other solitary 
ones he found himself surrounded by invisible spirits, good 
and evil. Every natural desire was the prompting of a 
devil, every misfortune that befell from weather or wild 
beasts was the work of the evil one. He longed for a cross 
before which he might pray, but each time that he tried to 
shape it in wood the devil, in the form of a wild cat, came 
and carried off the pieces. Then he struck his sword upon 
a rock, and the stone opened to receive it upright, so that 
the hilt formed the cross. Four cherry-trees bent down 
their branches so that he might bind them together to form 
a little hut. Here he dwelt unknown until a huntsman by 
chance came upon him, and carried the news to Chiusdino. 

Galgano's mother and many relatives, taking with them 
the chosen bride dressed in splendour, set out for Monte- 
siepi in the hope of changing the saint's purpose. 

Galgano, however, when he saw them coming, called out 
to them that they were trying to turn his feet from the way 
of God to the way of the devil. He further spoke in such 
praise of spiritual marriage that the bride returned home 
resolved to serve God. 

Galgano broke his solitude once to go to Rome for the 
Indulgence. He was well received by Pope Alexander III., 
a Bandinelli of Siena, who granted him some relics of the 
saints, Sebastian and Stephen. 

In 1 181, the Bishop of Volterra and another, going to 
visit Galgano, found the saint dead, kneeling in front of the 
sword. Many miracles were wrought at the place, and 
the hermit was canonised in 1184. The head of the saint 

2 A 



350 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

was cut off and taken to Siena, where on the festival of 
S. Galgano it is still carried in procession through the city. 

ASCIANO 

The station of Asciano is about one hour from Siena ; 
the town is nearly two miles from the station. The 
principal point of interest in Asciano is the CoUegiata; con- 
secrated in the name of S. Agatha. The fa9ade has three 
pointed arches under a plain round window. On the 
outer wall of the l. side of the church there are remains of 
frescoes in monochrome. 

In the interior the nave is without aisles, and has a 
wooden roof ; the transepts and choir are formed of single 
bays with groined vaulting ; the cupola rests on squinches. 

Behind the altar to the l. there is an interesting picture 
of the Nativity of the Virgin, by the Sienese painter, 
Sassetta. It is a picture of incident concerned with 
simple people. A maid pours water over the hands of 
S. Anna, another warms the swaddling clothes at a fire of 
logs, another brings dishes of food, an angel flies through 
the air bearing a crown towards the newly born. In the 
upper part of the picture, Madonna and Child, with angels. 
To the L., Death of Madonna; to R., she is carried to 
the grave. There are also small pictures of the Four 
Evangelists, behind the altar. In the R. transept, 
Madonna and Child, with angel and donor to the l. and 
S. Michael to the R., by Signorelli. 

On the end wall of the R. transept, panels, with SS. Peter 
and Agatha, and SS. Paul and John the Baptist. In the 
L. transept, Assumption of the Virgin ; in added panels at 
the side of the picture, S. Michael and a bishop. On the 
end wall, Madonna and Child, probably of the fourteenth 
century ; and an Annunciation. On the l. wall of the nave, 
the Dead Christ, supported by angels, by Bazzt. 

S. Agostino. Over the second altar, to the l.. Nativity, 
with angels. Outside the main picture, to the l., a bishop ; 
to the R., a youth. 

Over the second altar, to the r., in the centre, a small 








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EXCURSIONS FROM SIENA 351 

death mask of S. Catherine. To the l._, SS. Peter and 
perhaps James ; to the r._, S. Bernardino and a martyr 
woman saint. In the lunette^ the Father Eternal and 
the Annunciation; all on a gold background. 

S. Sebastiano. A chapel dedicated in the name of 
S. Sebastian lies to the N. of the town^ and may be reached 
within a few minutes. On the end wall there is an im- 
mense Assumption of the Virgin^ by Benvenuto di Giovanni, 
painted in fresco. Beneath are SS. Thomas^ Sebastian and 
Agatha. In the centre of the picture Madonna is attended 
by a multitude of angels. Above^ the Father Eternal or 
Christ; attended by S. John the Baptist and other saints^ 
on one side ; and King David; with patriarchs and saints^ on 
the other. At the side of the picture^ SS. Lucy^ Rocco and 
Jerome. 

^/At the bottom of the Via Vittorio Emmanuele is the 
Bargali palace. In the storerooms there are remains of 
frescoes. In the centre of one design a youth sits in a 
tree whose roots are gnawed by ratS; below is the dragon. 
(This allegory of Human Life is worked out fully on the 
baptistery at Parma.) In another room is a vaulted roof 
on which figures representing the seasons are attributed 
to Ambrogio Lorenzetti, 

S. Francesco. At the west end of the church; on the 
R. wall; recovered frescoeS; the Trinity; Sta. Barbara; etc. 
To the R. of the altar; on the r. wall; recovered fresco of the 
Crucifixion. To the l. of the altar; recovered frescO; the 
Kiss of Judas. Over the altar; glazed polychrome terra- 
cotta; Madonna and Child; S. Christopher to the R.; Tobias 
and the angel to the l. 

On .the R. wall; near the choir; recovered frescoeS; Mater 
Misericordia; S. Paul; Madonna and Child; with S. Anthony 
the Abbot; etc. 

On a pilaster in the chapel to the r. of the choir; Madonna 
and Child; seated; with small kneeling donor; ascribed to 
Lippo Memmi. 

Near the west end of the church; on the l. wall; Pieta, 
figures of saintS; etc. 



IV 
SOUTHERN TUSCANY 

CHIUSI 

THIS pleasant little town rises above the fertile Valley 
of the Chiana. 

[Chiusi or Clusium was one of the chief towns of the 
Etruscan confederation. The city was probably at the 
height of her power under Lars Porsena^ who^ about 505 
B.c.^ according to the legendary history of Rome^ joined 
the deposed tyrant ;, Tarquinius Prisons. A tomb dis- 
covered in the neighbourhood of Chiusi was for long 
supposed to correspond with Pliny's description of the cele- 
brated mausoleum of Porsena^ but later researches have 
shown that this is not a single sepulchre but a number of 
tombs connected by underground passages. 

Judging from the cemeteries surrounding the town^ 
Clusium must have been a powerful city with a long 
history^ for the tombs give evidence of the continued exist- 
ence of a large population in the district^ from the seventh 
to the second century before Christ. 

Christian catacombs^ not far from the town^ show that 
there must have been followers of the new religion at an 
early date. The town, which was protected by immense 
walls, became the residence of one of the Lombard Dukes. 
In 776, after the death of the last Duke, the control passed 
into the hands of military officials, from whom were prob- 
ably descended many of the noble families of the Val di 
Chiana, such as the Counts of Marsciano, the Visconti of 
Campiglia d'Orcia, the Manenti of Sarteano. 

In the eleventh century the valley had become notori- 

353 



354 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

ously unhealthy on account of the undrained marshes, 
but neither the inhabitants of Chiusi nor the Repubhcs 
of Siena and Perugia were wilUng to sacrifice such 
admirable means of defence against armed forces. The 
people of Chiusi; during the time of her decline^ were 
probably chiefly fishermen and ferrymen. Throughout 
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the town fell 
alternately into the hands of Orvieto and Perugia. In the 
fifteenth century, Siena came into the field as a competitor, 
and, as the outcome of disputes with Perugia, two towers 
still stand on the banks of the Chiana raised by the rivals. 
One was called '' Beccati questo," the other, " Beccati 
quest' altro " (Peck-at-this, Peck-at-this-other). 

In 1556, Chiusi, then under the protection of Siena, was 
besieged and taken by Maria Sforza of S. Fiora, who ceded 
it to Cosimo I., Grand Duke of Tuscany. 

During the Middle Ages it was the custom for the chief 
magistrate of Chiusi to go out in a boat every year and 
wed the lake with a ring, as was done by the Doges of 
Venice. The custom perhaps sprang from the recogni- 
tion that the lake and the marshes were the surest sources 
of prosperity and defence. 

The healthiness of the country greatly improved towards 
the end of the seventeenth century, after the Grand Dukes 
of the house of Lorraine drained the valley.] 

The Duomo is dedicated in the name of S. Mustiola, a 
noble citizen martyred in the time of Valerian ; it is 
probably a very ancient foundation. It was rebuilt by 
Gregory, Duke of Chiusi in 724. In modern times it has 
been remodelled in imitation of the ancient basilica. 

The columns of the nave are of various materials and 
various styles, some fluted, others plain, and many with 
a heavy cap between the springing of the arch and the 
capital, in the manner common in the churches of Ravenna. 
The subjects of the decoration have some interest icono- 
graphically. In the semi-dome is the Death of the Virgin; 
on the face of the arch, the four symbols of the Evangelists, 
with Isaiah and Jeremiah ; below the semi-dome, scenes of 



emu SI 355 

the Nativity^ Adoration of the Magi^ etc. In the northern 
apse is the single figure of S. Catherine ; in the southern^ 
that of S. Ursula. 

In the L. aisle is a sarcophagus with the bones of 
S. Mustiola. To the r. and l. of the western door are the 
Brazen Serpent, and the Cross, raised on columns. 

In the Loggia of the Piazza del Duomo are several 
Roman and Etruscan inscriptions. 

The Fortezza, which crowns the highest part of the 
town, is not open to the public. On the r. of the fortress 
an open piazza gives a fine view over the valley in the 
direction of Montepulciano. 

The Church of S. Francesco in the town has a picturesque 
doorway, reached by a flight of steps. The interior has 
been modernised. 

The Museo Civico,* in the Piazza del Duomo^ has 
several Roman statues in the porch. 

On entering turn to the l., along the wide corridor which 
surrounds a central hall. 

The urns and sarcophagi of Chiusi are generally of 
travertine or of soft limestone found in the neighbourhood. 
Only a few are of marble. 

A large number have portrait statues reclining upon a 
couch that forms the lid of the tomb. Many of the 
figures are so lifelike that we seem to be in the presence of 
a company of men and women resting at ease on their 
stone couches in the gay intercourse of a perpetual festival. 
The realistic effect would have been still greater if the 
figures had not lost their original covering of paint. In 
the British Museum there is a large painted sarcophagus 
from Chiusi, which gives some idea of the striking appear- 
ance of these lifelike images. 

The reliefs on the urns and sarcophagi represent mytho- 
logical scenes of the journey of the soul to the under- 
world, or symbolical designs, such as the winged disc, 
gorgon and Medusa heads. 

The most frequent of the mythological scenes are : the 
combat of tli^. Theban brothers, the sacrifice of Iphigenia,. 



356 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the death of Hippolytus^ the destruction of Laocoon, the 
battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. All these 
subjects illustrate how the gods punish those who offend 
them^ or who shed the blood of kindred. Good and evil 
spirits are introduced as attendants ; they are generally 
clothed in tunics^ wear high boots^ and carry a torch. 
Some who are young and beautiful appear in the farewell 
scenes^ and go with the soul on the journey to the under- 
world. Others seem to exult in the midst of death and 
slaughter^ and in the after-life conduct the soul into the 
presence of Charun^ a brutal-looking figure with tusks 
and a large nose, armed with a mallet. 

On entering note (483)^ the seated statue of a woman 
holding a pomegranate. Turning the corner, 

(860) The relief on the urn shows a man on horseback 
meeting a dragon, probably representing the soul arriving 
in the underworld. 

(1026), (546) and (26) The combat between the Theban 
brothers Eteokles and Polyneikes. 

(92) The arrival of the soul at the gate of Hades, where 
Charun stands armed with his mallet. 

(954), near the window. Achilles, armed, seizes Troilus 
by the hair. 

Turn to the R. along the cross corridor. 

(753) Represents a battle between Etruscans and 
Gauls — the latter are nude. 

(109) Has a finely carved relief of two young centaurs 
carrying off women. 

(964) Another representation of the death of Troilus. 
In the centre is the gate of Troy, where Charun stands 
waiting for his victim, with a serpent in either hand. 

(886) A small marble urn standing on the floor has 
a picture of the soul wrapped in a long mantle, attended 
by a Fate, with a torch ; they are followed by Charun, 
with his mallet. 

(361) On the lid is a realistic statue of a woman lying 
on a skin rug, in an easy, natural position. 
^.(973) A large sarcophagus ©f alabaster, with the 




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CHIUSI 357 

figure of a womari;, wearing a rich collar. On the front is 
a battle scene between Hercules and the Amazons. 

(981) Small urn of alabaster^ with a combat between 
Etruscans and Gauls. 

The desire of the Etruscan artist to impress on his work 
the stamp of reality often leads him to sacrifice dignity 
and beauty. The sword that pierces the hero is always 
driven up to the hilt ; the victim about to be sacrificed is 
held down by the hair. 

(234) An urn of alabaster. On the side^ Orestes slays 
Clytemnestra and ^gisthus. In the centre stands a Fury. 

(303) An alabaster urn with Cadmus killing a serpent. 

Turning into the next corridor (994)^ an interesting 
portrait figure of a young man lying on a couch covered 
with drapery ; his hair is painted blacky and crowned with 
a chaplet. According to Dennis^ it was the Etruscan 
custom to place chaplets on the dead to signify the eternal 
festival they were about to enjoy. 

(526) The death of Hippolytus. The usual Fury 
appears^ standing beside the dead youth. 

(10 1 3) The scaling of a city wall. (232) A brightly 
coloured representation of the death of the Theban 
brothers. A Fury springs up between them when the 
fatal blows have been given^ and lays a hand on the 
shoulder of each. 

(752) A large sarcophagus^ with the figure of a 
gigantic young man lying on the lid. His hair is closely 
clipped, and he wears no jewels. 

(569) On the lid, the figure of a woman ; and on the 
front, a skilfully carved scene of combat. 

Returning to the corridor of entrance, 

(328) An alabaster urn with a scene of farewell 
between three friends. 

(529), at the corner, has on the front a scene of 
combat. 

(2249) A small, hollow statue which served as an 
urn for the ashes of the dead. It is the figure of a seated 
woman of archaic type. The hair is arranged in rigid 



358 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

plaits ; the eyes are wide open and expressionless^ and the 
lips parted with a set smile. 

(2246) A sphinx. 

Centre Hall. I. Case (to the l.) contains objects of 
bronzC; etc. The first are canopi, vases with a human 
head at the top. These canopi represent the second step 
made by the potters of Chiusi in representing the human 
form. In the oldest tombs^ vases were placed^ containing 
the ashes of the dead, with the mask of a human face hung 
round the neck. The next step was the canopus, when 
the body of the vase containing the ashes came to be 
looked upon as the human bust and shoulders. A head 
was added which was a likeness of the dead person, and 
the handles were replaced with arms. 

Turning the corner of the room, the cases contain braziers, 
candelabra, masks, mirrors and lamps. 

II. Case (in the next corner) contains specimens of 
canopi and other vases in Bucchero ware. This black 
ware was the national pottery of the Etruscans. Its 
manufacture became established about the end of the 
seventh century B.C. and it maintained its popularity for 
the space of three centuries. Chiusi was a centre of the 
industry and developed a style peculiar to itself. The 
earliest examples are those with bands of figures, usually 
of wild beasts, in low relief, in the style of Assyrian and 
Egyptian pottery. 

The characteristic Chiusi vases are tall, with slender 
necks ; they are generally crowned by a bird on the lid, 
and the body of the vase covered with figures in high 
relief. The vases contained the ashes of the dead, and the 
reliefs usually relate to death and the life of the shades. 
Wild beasts carrying off their prey, horses' heads indicat- 
ing the journey to the underworld, and veiled w^omen's faces 
representing the spirits of the dead, are among the most 
frequent subjects. 

III. Corner Case contains painted vases. (1812) 
An amphora of early style with black figures on a red 
ground, representing Achilles and Ajax. (1827) has red 



cmusi 359 

figures on a black ground^ as also the next (1831)^ a very 
fine vase with the story of Penelope and Ulysses. 

(2260) A fragment from a sarcophagus representing 
an Etruscan marriage ceremony. 

IV. Corner Case. Bucchero ware. On the shelves are 
a number of trays known as Focoli. On the trays are pots 
of varying sizes and shapes^ which may have contained 
toilet preparations. They were found in the tombs^ on 
the floor^ beside the urns. 

Central Case. On the top is a cinerary vase of terra- 
cotta^ a '' Kelebe/' decorated with the statue of a woman 
in an attitude of grief. Below are small bronze idols^ 
statuettes. In the sloping cases are coins, knives, beads, 
small bottles, safety-pins or '' fibulae," mirrors, and on the 
floor two very complete Focoli. 

There are several interesting Etruscan tombs which can 
be easily visited from Chiusi. The custodian of the tombs 
can be engaged at the Museo Civico. If a carriage is taken 
the excursion may be made in about two and a half 
hours. 

Leaving the town in a north-easterly direction, the road 
winds rapidly downhill between red sandstone banks and 
overgrown hedges ; in front is a tract of richly wooded 
country covered with oak groves and olive gardens. 

Turning to the L., within a few feet of the level of the 
Lake of Chiusi, the road crosses the railway to Siena, and 
soon after brings us to the foot of the hill, which must be 
climbed on foot. 

The tomb known as the Deposito del Gran Duca is 
reached in about ten minutes, at the farm, Podere della 
Paccianese. It comes as a surprise to the tra.veller when 
a door, apparently in part of the outbuildings, is opened, 
and gives entrance to a low chamber of beautiful and 
regular masonry with a vaulted roof. 

The room is about ten feet by thirteen feet, and has 
benches of solid stone along the sides. The door is formed 
of two blocks; and above the lintel is an arch of masonry. 



36o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Eight chests containing ashes stand on the benches. 
Three have figures on the Hd. The reUefs are chiefly 
symbols relating to the underworld^ such as hippocampi^ 
animals upon which the soul journeyed to the under- 
world ; Medusa heads^ probably placed on the chests as a 
talisman to protect the ashes ; the soul on the way^ riding 
on a panther. 

The Deposito della Scimia, a tomb with paintings^ lies 
farther up the hillside. A long staircase leads down to the 
tomb^ which has four chambers^ with benches against the 
walls. The paintings in the principal room represent the 
games and races held at the funeral in honour of the dead. 
There is no evidence of symbolical intention. The painter 
has depicted the people as he saw them. 

On the wall; to the r.^ is a lady seated ^ with an umbrella 
over her head. She is the only spectator^ and is probably 
the one in whose honour the tomb is decorated. In front 
are horses^ some mounted and some led. A man blows a 
horn^ perhaps to signify that the race is about to begin. On 
the wall; on the other side of the door^ is a dancer and 
two musicians blowing pipes. Following round the room, 
opposite to the door^ are two naked pugilists^ with their 
coats lying on a seat beside them. They have one hand 
open for defence^ and the other closed for attack. (The 
custodian explains these figures as men playing the Italian 
game of '' moro.") 

In the next chamber are two wrestlers, attended by an 
official; who appears to act as umpire. Beyond are horse 
racerS; who are seated sideways on their beasts. At the end 
is a giant dragging a dwarf by the wrist. The figures are 
as a rule coloured dark red and outlined with black. Be- 
low the scenes is a Greek scroll of the key pattern ; and 
abovC; a frieze with an elementary egg and dart 
moulding. 

The Tombe del Poggio-Gajella lies to the north-east of 
the town. One tomb is arranged above another in three 
tiers. There^'is a central chamber with labyrinthine 
passages, but no paintings or sculptures. 



EXCURSIONS FROM CHIUSI 361 

Excursions from Chiusi 

A pleasant excursion may be made to Sarteano (four and 
a half miles) and Cetona (seven miles); towns lying on the 
lower spurs of Monte Cetona. 

Leaving Chiusi by the south-w^est, the road descends into 
the Valley of the Astrone^ and climbs the rocky hillside 
until the piazza at Sarteano is reached. 

The two points of interest are the mediseval castle and 
the Etruscan collections belonging to Cavaliere Bargagli. 

The Fortezza^ or castle^ may be reached in about ten 
minutes from the piazza. The Counts Manenti of Sar- 
teano were a source of much disturbance in the Val di 
Chiana in the thirteenth century. They were in league ^ 
sometimes with Siena^ sometimes with Orvieto, but during 
the fourteenth century their power was gradually weak- 
ened by Siena^ and finally^ early in the fifteenth century^ 
the Republic became sole master. In the seventeenth 
century the town was given by the Grand Duke Leopold 
to the Fanelli family^ whose descendants are still the 
possessors of the Fortezza. 

A villa with a large garden full of old trees has been 
raised within the vast space of the first circle of walls. 
The square solid keep and two round towers still remain^ 
and there are many of the furnishings of a mediaeval 
fortress, such as the '' saracinesca/' a gate let down with 
chains from above ; '' piombatoia/' holes in the parapet 
through which boiling oil or lead could be poured upon 
the enemy ; secret passages leading from one part of the 
building to another, and a drawbridge. 

The view from the castle is magnificent. The lakes of 
Trasimene, Chiusi and Montepulciano lie in the broad 
valley ; the towns of Arezzo, Cortona, Chiusi, Citta della 
Pieve and Montepulciano are all visible on a clear day. 

Return to the piazza and visit the Etruscan Museum 
of Signor Bargagli. 

In the first room are a number of urns, some with figures 



362 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of the dead person resting on a couch; others with small 
sleeping figures. The subjects of the reliefs are similar to 
those at Chiusi. Note the following^ beginning to the l. 
of the door : — The Theban brothers slaying one another 
(734); Apollo with a harp (731); on the lid, an obese 
man resting on a pillow upon which a little figure is 
seated ; on the front of the urn, a highly coloured, realistic 
representation of the Theban brothers, with a Fury inter- 
vening; (730) Orestes and Iphigenia; (728) the death of 
Hippolytus. 

In the second room, in the centre, is a large recumbent 
statue of a man, with a fillet bound round his hair. The 
statue is a receptacle for the ashes. On the walls are 
vases and canopi, some of Bucchero ware. 

Upstairs are cases with collections of rings, bracelets, 
safety-pins, vases, flint-knives, gold ornaments, combs, 
coins and glass bottles. 

A drive of about half-an-hour down a steep hill brings 
us to Cetona. Just before entering the town the road 
passes under a picturesque mass of conventual buildings. 
The Fortress of Cetona stands on one hill and the Palazzo 
Terrosi on another, the houses of the town lying between. 
The Fortezza belonged, in mediaeval times, to the Counts 
Cornara di casa Monaldeschi. In 1416 it was besieged 
and taken by the famous condottiere, Braccio da Montone, 
who had been offended by two of the sons of Count Cor- 
nara. By him it was sold to the commune of Siena. 

Visitors are generally admitted to the grounds of the 
Terrosi palace, where there are some curious grottoes with 
a few Etruscan urns and pieces of coarse pottery. From 
the highest point of the extensive grounds there is a beauti- 
ful view. In the palace there is said to be a collection of 
Etruscan antiquities found in the neighbourhood. 

The return drive to Chiusi takes about three-quarters of 
an hour. 

RADICOFANI 
The town is built upon the rugged and scarped rocks. 



RADICOFANl 363 

just beneath the summit of a strangely shaped volcanic 
mountain^ rising abruptly about 3000 feet above sea-level, 
between the valleys of the Orcia and the Paglia. 

It may be reached by road from Torrenieri station by 
way of Quirico d'Orcia, twenty-one miles^ or from Chiusi, 
by way of Sarteano^ circling round Monte Cetona, twenty- 
five miles. There is a small inn, with unpretentious accom- 
modation. 

[The town was an ancient fief belonging to the monks of 
S. Salvatore on Monte Amiata. In 1153 Pope Eugenius 
III. bought one-half of the town from the Abbot, and 
before the end of the century, walls of defence were built 
with fortified towers. Disputes between the monks and 
the Pope arose during the thirteenth century. In 1369 
the people of Radicofani, hoping to free themselves from 
the monks, asked help from Siena. After this the Sienese 
became still another claimant, and disputes went on until 
early in the fifteenth century, when, in exchange for an 
annual payment to the Pope, Siena made herself sole 
possessor. In 141 7 the great Fortezza was built, several 
Lombard master-masons being employed. In the hope of 
controlling the military companies that infested the high- 
ways from Rome, the road which formerly passed below 
the town was brought up to within half-a-mile of the walls. 

^^ La Penna," as the town was called from the outline 
of the mountain, was more than once the refuge of exiles 
and outlaws. Boccaccio tells the tale how, in 1248, an 
outlaw robber knight, Ghino di Tacco, waylaid a rich 
abbot of Cluny, who was returning from Rome, and shut 
him up in his castello at Radicofani. The abbot, suffering 
at the time from over-indulgence in the pleasures of the 
table, improved so much in health under the prison treat- 
ment that after paying his ransom he parted with his 
robber host on the best of terms. 

In 1262, after the battle of Monteaperto, a number of 
notable Sienese citizens, Piccolomini, Salimbeni, Sansedoni, 
Scotti, Malavolti, and many other nobles, exiled them- 
selves rather than take sides with Manfred, '* a parricide 



364 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and a persecutor of the Church." They settled in Radico- 
fani^ and '' Hved quietly only taking what was necessary 
from the people." Twelve orators were sent to appeal 
to these " Grandi/' in the name of Siena's glorious mother 
and patron;, imploring them '' not to be the first to generate 
divisions in the Republic " ; they were reminded^ '^ how 
the Roman plebs yielded to the will of the Senate rather 
than cause division^ and if plebs could do this how could 
gentlemen do less." The Sienese gentlemen, however^ 
remained obstinate.] 

In the Duomo there are three fine pieces of Delia Robbia 
ware. 

At the end of the r. aisle is the Crucifixion. Mary 
Magdalen kneels^ clasping the foot of the crosS;, which 
stands in a garden planted with trees. Four young angels; 
with fluttering ribbons and eager movements^ gather the 
blood as it falls from the hands. 

At the end of the l. aisle is an altar-piece of Madonna 
and Child between the Archangel Michael and a woman 
saint. The figures are in white^ on a blue background. 
The framC; with its classical ornaments^ has a row of 
cherub heads^ and garlands of fruit springing from a 
vase. 

Above the first altar to the l. of the entrance is Madonna 
and Child between SS. Anthony and Rocco. Above^ in 
the lunette^ is the Father Eternal and the angelic host. The 
colourings the ornaments of the frame^ anfl the proportions 
of the parts of this altar-piece are exceedingly harmonious 
and beautiful. The expression of the faces strikes a higher 
note than usual in the work of these artists. 

These della Robbia altar-pieces are said to have been 
the gifts of the Sforzas^ lords of Santa Fiora^ in the fif- 
teenth century^ when Radicofani was for a time in their 
possession. 

In the Church of S. Agata there is a fine altar-piece^ in 
Della Robbia ware. It represents Madonna and Child, 
with SS. Francis, Vincent, and Agatha, who has an arrow 
in her throat. The figures are white, on a blue ground. 



S. QUIRICO D'ORCIA 365 

An enamelled and jewelled reliquary of the True Cross is 
preserved in the sacristy. 

The Fortezza, built upon the precipitous rock rising 
above the town^ was the work of Lombard masons in 1417- 
It was blown to pieces^ with great labour^ by the artillery 
of Duke Cosimo in 1559. All that remains now are a few- 
walls and doorways^ and a waste of stone^ and debris of 
rock on the hillside. The chief interest is in the magnificent 
view. To the south-west lies Monte Amiata^ with the strange 
outline of the small town of Campiglia d'Orcia on the lower 
slopes. Lower stilly in the plain, is the Paglia, where the 
river flows on its way to join the Tiber. Northwards the 
waters gather into the Orcia, a tributary of the Ombrone. 
The towns of S. Quirico, Pienza, MontepulcianO; may all be 
distinguished on the ridges between the Orcia Valley and 
the mountain of Cetona, to the north. 

S. QUIRICO D'ORCIA 

This little town rests on the crest of a hill, 1390 feet above 
the sea-level. It is on the highway from Florence to 
Rome, four miles from Torrenieri station. The road 
crosses the low hills and wide uplands bordering the Orcia 
Valley. The striking outlines of several hill cities come 
into view, rising among the undulating ridges clothed with 
olives and vines. The winding road for the last quarter 
of a mile is carried into the town on a series of striking 
arches. We pass through a picturesque gateway and 
enter the main street. 

(The inn is unpretentious, possible for a short stay.) 
[The town takes its name from the child martyr, 
S. Quiricus, who suffered death at the age of three years, with 
his mother, Giulitta, under Diocletian in 304. According 
to the legend, when Giulitta was condemned to death the 
governor would have protected the child, but S. Quiricus 
declared that he was a Christian, and would die with his 
mother. Whereupon the governor, seizing him by the leg, 
dashed his head against the steps of the chair, 

2 B 



366 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

There are records of a church on this spot in the eighth 
century^ when it was the subject of a dispute between the 
bishops of Arezzo and Siena. The town does not appear 
to have ever had much civic independence. From the 
twelfth century it was the seat of a law courts and was also 
at different times the residence of the Imperial Vicar. In 
12 13 it became subject to Siena^ and the connection with 
the Republic remained a close one. It was frequently 
chosen as the meeting-place for the settlement of disputes 
and the drawing up of treaties between Siena^ her allies^ 
and her enemies. 

In 1472^ Siena rebuilt the walls and raised a fortress^ the 
tower of which still stands. 

After the fall of Siena^ S. Quirico swore fealty to Cosimo I._, 
and remained under Medici rule until 1677^ when Cosimo III. 
granted the town and the district^ including the famous 
baths of Vignoni; with the title of Marquis^ to Cardinal 
Flavio Chigi^ in the hands of whose family it remained 
until 1774.] 

Not far from the entrance gate is the Collegiata; con- 
secrated in the names of SS. Quirico and Giulitta. It is a 
Romanesque buildings with pointed and barocco additions. 
It stands picturesquely on the l. side of the steep street. 
The west door has on the lintel the figures of two vipers^ 
illustrating the mediaeval legend of the generation of vipers. 
The female viper bites off the head of the male^ and the 
young ones kill their mother by bursting through her side. 
The significance drawn from this history was that th6 viper 
is a type of the Jews^ poisonous sons of poisonous parents^ 
parricides who had killed their spiritual fathers. For this 
reason John the Baptist addressed the Pharisees^, '' O 
generation of vipers." On the capitals is the usual con- 
test between good and evil^ between heaven and hell ; on 
one side^ two doves^ with olive leaves ; on the other^ two 
lions devouring their prey. 

In the tympanum is a rude carving of Madonna and 
Child. The fagade above is pierced with a wheel window. 

On the south side of the church there are two picturesque 



5. QUIRICO D'ORCIA 367 

doorways. The first has a round -arched porch^ ornamented 
with sculpture in the pointed style of the thirteenth century. 
The lintel is covered w^ith a conventionalised leaf design. 
Against the jambs are two statues, perhaps of prophets, 
standing on lions. The work shows the influence of 
Giovanni Pisano, and is probably from the hand of a 
follower. 

The small doorway opening into the transept has foliage 
ornaments, and is dated 1298. 

The interior was restored by Cardinal Chigi in the seven- 
teenth century. Above the door of the S. transept is a 
triptych, by Sano di Pietro, Madonna and Child, with a 
group of saints, with scenes of the Resurrection and Descent 
into Hades below. 

The choir stalls have some good panels of intarsia by 
Barili of Siena. 

Close to the Collegiata is the Oratory of the Miseri- 
cordia, in which there is a picture by Bazzi above the 
high altar. Madonna and Child^ with SS. Sebastian and 
Leonard. 

Farther along the street is the great travertine Palace 
built by Cardinal Flavio Chigi, the nephew of Pope Alex- 
ander VIL, who died at S. Quirico in 1693. 

On the opposite side of the street, in Ihe piazza, is the 
entrance gate to the Orti leonini, a large, deserted park, 
said to have been laid out by Cardinal Chigi. There are 
clumps of ilex-trees and walks bordered w^ith overgrow^n 
box. The tower of the fortress rises at the end of the 
garden, and from the wall of the battlements there is a 
wide view over the valley, wath the silver thread of the 
Orcia winding through it, of Monte Amiata to the r., and 
of the hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano to the 

L. 

At the end of the main street, near the Porta Romana, is 
the picturesque little Romanesque Church of Sta. Maria. 
There are carvings of dragons on the lintel, a small, rounded 
apse, and a belfry towxr above. The simple interior, lit by 
.narrow window slits, is impressive. 



368 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

PIENZA 

Pienza may be reached from Torrenieri railway station 
in about one and three quarters to two hours^ or from 
Quirico d'Orcia in about an hour^ or from Montepulciano 
in one and a half hours by carriage. 

The Albergo Letizia is unpretending^ but is well kept. 

The town^ notable for its Renaissance buildings of the 
fifteenth century^ stands on a wooded hill^ overlooking the 
far-stretching Valley of the Orcia^ with the fine outline of 
Monte Amiata to the south-west. 

[Before 1459^ Pienza was the humble village of Corsig- 
nano; in early times possessed by the monks of San 
SalvatorC; and in later times partly ow^ned by the Picco- 
lomini family of Siena. Between 1459 and 1462 the 
village was transformed by Pope Pius II. (^neas Sylvius 
Piccolomini) into a little city furnished with its piazza^ 
DuomO; town hall; and many fine palaces. Pius II. was 
born in Corsignano in 1405^ where his father had settled^ 
having been driven out of Siena by a popular outburst 
against the party of the nobles. Pius II. returned to his 
native village in 1458^ accompanied by six cardinals and 
one hundred knights^ and began the work of transforming 
it into '^ Pienza/' a cathedral town and a summer resort 
for the papal court. 

The architect; Bernardo RossellinO; built the group of 
buildings surrounding the Piazza/ the Duomo^ Baptistery^ 
Canonica^ Palazzo Pubblico; and Papal Palace. Several 
other palaces were built by the cardinals for themselves. 
The Pope died suddenly in 1464^ at Ancona^ whither he 
had gone to review the Crusaders^ who were to sail against 
the Turks. This put an end to the development of the 
town. It is now a small; well-kept place^ with many im- 
posing buildingS; few inhabitants^ and no sign of com- 
mercial activity.] 

The Pieve of SS. Vito e Modesto, outside the gates, is all 
that remains of the old village of Corsignano. It is a 



PIENZA 369 

Romanesque churchy with the base of a massive round 
tower^ probably once used for defence. The carvings 
round the door are in the style of the eleventh and twelfth 
centuries. On the lintel is a double-tailed siren, with 
dragons, and a rudely carved man and woman embracing, 
symbolical figures of the temptations of the senses. 

Over the south door are scenes of the Nativity, with 
angels arousing the shepherds, and the Magi approaching. 
The jambs have interlacing scrolls, with symbolical animals, 
the dove eating grapes, the unicorn, men fighting, etc. 

The Piazza. The surrounding buildings are not only 
simple and dignified in themselves, but, taken as a whole, 
they form a striking and harmonious group illustrating 
the middle period of the Italian Renaissance. The stone 
used is mainly travertine of a warmish light yellow colour, 
which lends itself to the formal and stately style of archi- 
tecture. 

The Duomo is ornamented with pilasters and round- 
headed arcading. High on the fagade are the arms of the 
Piccolomini. The interior is vaulted, the nave arches 
springing from clustered piers. 

In the L. aisle is an Assumption of the Virgin, by Vecchi- 
etta. At the sides, to the l., Sta. Agata and Pius II. ; to 
the R., Sta. Caterina of Siena and S. CalHsto. The gold 
background, the rich colour, and the circle of little floating 
angels make this a strikingly decorative picture. In the 
R. transept is a panel, by Matteo di Giovanni, Madonna and 
Child, with S. Catherine of Alexandria and S. Matthew on 
the L., and S. Bartholomew and Sta. Lucia, holding a plate 
with her eyes, on the r. The colour is poor and the con- 
ception formal ; this cannot be considered a good example 
of the master. 

In the R. aisle is a panel of Madonna and Child, with 
saints, by Sano di Pietro. The figures are on a gold back- 
ground, and the general effect is decorative. 

From the side door we descend to the Baptistery, which 
is below the presbytery and chapels of the Duomo. The 
font is of 1462. 



370 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The Palazzo Piccolomini is a grandiose and imposing 
building. 

In the interior is a fine courts with a decorative well- 
head. Note the free design of the capitals of the wall 
arches. Beyond^ overlooking the garden^ is a two-storeyed 
loggia. From the terrace there is a good view of the apse 
of the DuomO;, and from the end of the garden one can see 
the Valley of the Orcia spread out^ with Cetona on the l.^ 
Monte Amiata and Radicofani in fronts and Quirico d' Orcia 
and Montalcino on the R. 

The Palazzo Pubblico is a dignified buildings with an 
open loggia^ and a tower crowned with battlements. 
Originally the fagade was covered wath graffiti. 

The Palazzo Vescovile — the Bishop's Place — close by^ is 
in a more severe and simple style. 

The Canonica to the l. of Duomo^ once adorned with 
graffiti^ now contains the Museo. In Room IV. are a 
number of Flemish and German tapestries of the sixteenth 
century. In the next room^ on the wall of entrance^ are 
fragments of pictures by Sano di Pietro, and small panels 
in the Byzantine manner. Madonna and Child^ with four 
bishopS; by Matteo di Giovanni, A triptych^ by Sassetta. 
A large picture of Mater Misericordia^ by Bartolo di 
Fredi. Below is a richly embroidered paliotto. Madonna 
and Child; with S. Bernardino and vS. Anthony the 
Abbot; on the l. ; S. Francis and S. Chiara on the r. 
On the end wall; German tapestry of the fifteenth 
century. Vecchietta, Madonna and Child; with S. Biagio 
and S. John the Baptist. On the L.; S. Nicholas and 
S. Florianus. In the predella are scenes from the lives 
of these saints. Scenes of the PassioU; by Bartolo di 
Fredi. 

In cupboards against the walls are a number of mag- 
nificent vestments. 

Cross the passage to Room II.; which contains several 
pieces of German and Flemish tapestry of fifteenth and 
sixteenth centuries. In a stand in the centre are illumi- 
nated manuscripts; prints ; enamels; reliquarieS; crucifixes. 



PI EN Z A 371 

In Room I.^ at the end^ is the famous Piviale^ em- 
broidered in silk and gold^ given to Pius II. by Thomas 
Paleologus^ despot of the Morea^ who had been driven from 
his country by the Turks and had taken refuge in Rome. 
The work is supposed to be of the thirteenth century^ and 
the scenes represent the hfe of the Virgin^ and the martyr- 
dom of S. Catherine of Alexandria. 

In the central cases are illuminated choral books, mitres, 
processional crosses, pastoral staff and pax. 

S. Francesco. A pointed church, with a single round 
window above the pointed arch of the doorway. The 
church, which was either rebuilt or restored by Pius II., has 
lately been stripped of its seventeenth-century decorations, 
and the frescoes covering the walls have been cleared from 
whitewash. 

In the nave are fragments of pictures : the x\gony in the 
Garden, Madonna and Child, S. Francis, S. Anthony. 
They appear to be in the Florentine style of the end of the 
fourteenth and beginning of the fifteenth century. In the 
choir, the frescoes of the life of S. Francis are better pre- 
served, and may be the work of the school of the Gaddi. 
On the roof is S. Francis, with Poverty, Obedience, and 
Chastity. 

The paintings are said to have been executed by order 
of the Lamberti family of Pienza. 

Opposite to the Palazzo Piccolomini is the Palace of the 
Cardinal of Pavia, decorated with fine stone cornices and 
with the arms of the Piccolomini- Ammanati. The houses, 
Nos. 28, 29, 33 and 37, are other examples of palaces built 
by the cardinals. 

S. Anna. About four kilometres from Pienza is the 
ancient monastery of the Olivetani (founded about 1324), 
attached to the Church of S. Anna. The road from Pienza 
is for a considerable distance through woods, and the 
monastery stands on a promontory in the midst of oaks. 
The church was restored in the sixteenth century. The 
arches of the cloister have been filled up, but the old garden. 



372 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

with rows of lemon-trees^ is peculiarly fine. In the refectory 
are a number of pictures by Bazzi, 

At one end is the miracle of the multiplication of the 
loaves ; various Roman buildings^ the Arch of Constan- 
tine^ Colosseum, etc., in the background. 

On the wall of entrance is the Deposition, and a group 
of Madonna and Child, with S. Anna and two kneeling 
monks. To the l. is the Bishop Quid one of Arezzo con- 
firming the rule of the Olivetan order. On the side wall, 
opposite the window, busts of S. Gregory the Great, 
S. Catherine of Siena, S. Peter Damiano. Over the 
entrance door, the head of Christ. 

From the esplanade in front of the church there is a 
magnificent view, including the towns of Montalcino, 
Chiusere, Montemuccio and the Pieve of Castelmuccio, 
Petroio, etc. 

To the south of Pienza is the ancient castello of Speda- 
letto, which has been restored ; the pictures from the 
church are now in the museum. To the east lies the still 
more ancient and famous Rocca of Monticchiello. 

MONTEPULCIANO 

The station of Montepulciano is reached by train from 
Siena in about two and a half hours, or from Chiusi in about 
half-an-hour. The inn, " II Marzocco," is suitable for a 
short visit. 

The town crowns a hill nearly 2000 feet high, and is six 
miles from the station. The omnibus takes one and a half 
hours to climb the long ascent, and from the higher ground 
there is a magnificent view of Southern and Eastern 
Tuscany. To the r. in ascending is the high mountain 
village of Montefollonica, and to the l. the cone of Monte 
Cetona. Near to the gate is a great building, the Monas- 
tery of S. iVgnese, with an apse which looks more like the 
bastions and ramparts of a castle than the end of a church, 

[The Monastery of S. Agnes was dedicated in the name 



MONTEPULCIANO 373 

of Montepulciano's saint , a Dominican nun born in 131 7. 
When she took the veil a number of small crosses fell 
upon her from the sky. S. Catherine of Siena came to 
Montepulciano to venerate the relics of S. Agnes^ and when 
she was about to stoop to kiss the foot of the saint^ the 
corpse raised its foot out of courtesy. These legends are 
sometimes illustrated in pictures of S. Agnes.] 

The views from many points, both outside and inside the 
town, are of extraordinary beauty, even in a country so 
remarkable for natural loveliness as Tuscany. There is 
great variety in the splendid mountain background, in the 
lakes shining in the sunlight, and in the rich land bearing 
corn, vines and olives. 

Looking eastward, we see the Val di Chiana, bounded 
by a range of mountains separating us from the Valley 
of the Tiber. In the middle distance lie the lakes of 
Trasimeno, Montepulciano, and Chiusi. The towns of 
Castiglione Fiorentino, Cortona, Castiglione del Lago, 
Chiusi, and Citta della Pieve are seen across the width of 
the valley. 

The view from the other side of the town is dominated 
by Monte Amiata, snow-clad even in the month of May. 
The towns of Pienza and Montalcino, and the Tower of 
Montichiello, with Montefollonica directly across the valley, 
are all visible. Beyond lies the mountainous country 
drained by the river Ombrone. 

[The origin of the name Montepulciano, according to 
legend, is, that when Chiusi was attacked by the barbarian 
hordes, the citizens divided into two parts, the Plebs 
settled on a hill to the south, Castrum Plebis (Citta delle 
Pieve), and the nobles on a hill to the north, Mons 
Politicus, Politianus. There are many traces of Etrus- 
can and Roman inhabitants, but no large or important 
remains. In the time of the Lombard kingdom, a hamlet 
grew up round the church and castle, and by the ninth 
century various trades were carried on in the town, and 
the vines had become famous. The town had acquired 
some form of civic independence in the twelfth century, 



374 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and became the object of ambition both to Siena and 
Florence. The history of Montepulciano is indeed an 
account of her quarrels and reconciliations with these two 
patrons. During the thirteenth century^ mastery lay, on 
the whole, with the Sienese, who built a great fortress in the 
town in 1262. In the course of the fourteenth century the 
commune fell under the domination of the merchant 
family of the Pecora. In the course of years their 
supremacy became a tyranny, from which the town was 
fortunately delivered, by the members of the family falling 
out with one another. One faction allied itself with Siena, 
the other with Perugia ; and in the end the city recovered 
its communal rights with the help of Perugia. In 1364, 
however, there was a democratic revolt, and Siena's pro- 
tection was once more invoked. This state of things 
lasted for about thirty years, when there was a change of 
patrons. Montepulciano offered herself to Florence. An 
agreement was made in 1404 whereby Lucignano was 
handed over to Siena, Montepulciano to Florence, and to 
this alliance the fickle citizens were constant for ninety 
years, during which time of tranquillity there was a great 
increase in prosperity. In 1495, the cry of " Liberta e 
Lupa " was once more raised by the discontented, and 
war with Florence followed. In 1512 the Florentines 
were finally victorious, and the history of Montepulciano 
after this date follows that of the Republic] 

In the piazza opposite to the hotel is a column with the 
Florentine ensign, the Marzocco. The main street, the 
Via Garibaldi, leads steeply up hill to the Mercato (where 
it becomes the Via Cavour), and onwards to the house of 
Poliziano, whence, as the Via Poliziano, it mounts to the 
Piazza Sta. Maria. The streets are extraordinarily steep, 
and at every turn an archway to R. or l. gives a view 
down into the valley hundreds of feet below, or upwards, 
to some mass of building, in which the houses seem piled 
one upon another. 

The number of Renaissance houses at once strikes the 
attention, and visible signs of the mediaeval city are few 



MONTEPULCIANO 375 

and far between. Two of the massive Renaissance palaces 
are the work of the Florentine architect^ Antonio di San- 
gallo, the elder (1448 (?)-i534)^ who was sent by the 
Republic in 15 12 to build the fortifications of Montepul- 
ciano. Others are the work of Vignola (1507-1573)^ the 
architect of S. Peter's in Rome. 

The following is a list of the principal houses in the 
Via Garibaldi : — No. 37. Palazzo Avignonese^ by Antonio 
di Sangallo. No. 32. Palazzo Tarugi^by Vignola. No. ^7^. 
Palazzo Batignani. No. 28. Palazzo Pecora^ originally 
belonging to the famous family of the fourteenth century. 
Note the coat - of - arms. No. 29. Palazzo Bucelli^ with 
Etruscan reliefs built into the walls. No. 6. Palazzo 
Venturi. The Loggie del Mercato^, designed by Vignola. 

In the Via Cavour. No. 7. Palazzo Cervini (now one of 
several palaces belonging to the Contucci famxily)^ by 
Antonio di Sangallo. No. 21. Palazzo Bracci. No. 23. 
Palazzo Gagnoni, with a massive portal. No. 25. The 
Seminario. No. 29. Palazzo Carle tti. 

In the Via Poliziano. No. i. The birthplace of the poet^ 
Angelo Ambrogini (1454); known as Poliziano ^ who taught 
the children of Lorenzo the Magnificent^ and whose poem, s 
inspired some of the paintings of Botticelli. 

At the top of the Via Poliziano is the Piazza Sta. Maria, 
with the church of that name. In the church are two 
pleasing pictures. Over the first altar to the l., Madonna 
and Child, in the Sienese manner. Over the second altar 
to the L., part of an old fresco, with Madonna and Child, a 
charming group, surrounded by a modern painting. The 
church has been entirely remodelled ; the doorway, with its 
pointed arches, is in the fourteenth-century style. The 
piazza commands a splendid view. On leaving the church 
turn to the l., up the Via Fiorenzuola, which leads past the 
Fortress, entirely modernised, to the Duomo. 

In the piazza, to the r. of the Duomo, is the Palazzo del 
Monte (now Contucci), built by Sangallo, in 15 19. Pope 
Julius III. del Monte lived here, and it was also the 
occasional place of residence of Clement VII, and Paul III. 



376 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Opposite the Duomo is the fine Palazzo Tartugi. To 
the L. the Palazzo Municipale^ with its bell-tower^ is some- 
what on the model of the Palazzo Vecchio of Florence. It 
was built in the thirteenth century and remodelled in the 
fourteenth. 

The Duomo. The western fagade has never been com- 
pleted with marble facings as was intended in the original 
plan. In the interior the effect is that of a cold and correct 
design in the later Renaissance manner. 

The principal object is the monument to Bartolommeo 
Aragazzi^ by Donatello and Michelozzo. The work was 
done in the lifetime of Aragazzi^ secretary to Pope Martin 
V.;, but the monument has not been suffered to remain 
as he intended^ it has been broken up and the different 
parts are dispersed over the cathedral. To the l. of the 
central door is the recumbent statue of the man himself. 
Two panels, with reliefs, have been affixed to the nearest 
nave pillars. On the l., Aragazzi kneels before Madonna, 
who lays her hand upon his head ; on the r., Aragazzi 
says farewell to his wife and family. On either side 
of the high altar are two statues : on the r., Fortitude, 
as a young, lithe man, his hair bound with a fillet, wear- 
ing a determined expression and with a commanding 
pose. To the l. is a figure of Faith, with a power- 
ful face : the massive head, with its deep jaw and well- 
defined chin, is poised on a delicate neck ; the body stands 
free, balanced, and flexible, the weight thrown on the left 
leg. The base of the Aragazzi monument, delicately 
carved with putti carrying garlands, now forms part of the 
high altar. 

The altar-piece, by Taddeo Bartolo (ascribed by Sig. 
Venturi to Bartolo di Fredi), the Assumption of the Virgin, 
is unusually fine in general effect. In the centre is 
Madonna ascending, and Thomas receiving the girdle. At 
the sides are many saints, each with his name inscribed in 
the nimbus. On the cusps, the Annunciation, and the 
Coronation of the Virgin. Along the foot of the picture, 
in small medallions, the Creation of Adam, the Expul- 



MONTEPULCIANO 377 

sion, the Offerings of Cain and Abel^ the Death of Abel^ 
the Building of the Ark^ the Deluge^ the Sacrifice of Abra- 
hani; the Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael^ Moses receiv- 
ing the LaW; the Death of Goliath^ the Judgment of 
Solomon. In the predella are the Entry into Jerusalem^ 
and the eight other Passion scenes. 

On the R. of the entrance door^ opposite to the tomb of 
Aragazzi^ is the tomb of a bishop, a strong and vigorous 
piece of work. 

Standing on the steps of the Duomo, to the l. is the 
Municipio ; and to the R. the Palazzo Contucci. Opposite 
is the Palazzo Tartugi. 

In the Municipio is a small Museum. Climb the stair to 
the first floor. 

Room I. Delia Robbia ware. Turn to the right. (2) 
Altar-piece, attributed to Andrea delta Robbia. To the l. 
the saints are Stephen and Bonaventura ; to the r., Francis 
and Chiara. (3) Small marble bas-relief, Madonna and 
Child, with angels. Sienese work of the fifteenth century. 
{4) Lunette, school of the Robbia, Madonna and Child, 
with SS. John the Baptist and Antilia, who carries a 
woman's head in a small shrine. (9) S. John Baptist, 
attributed to Andrea. (10) Altar-piece, school of Robbia, 
Madonna and Child, with SS. Bartholomew and Longinus. 
(14) Altar-piece, the Father Eternal with a choir of angels. 
Nativity and Adoration in the predella. (13) and (15) 
Gabriel and Madonna in Annunciation, attributed to 
Ajidrea, 

From this first room w^e pass into a small vaulted room, 
called the Chapel, with a number of pictures. (16) A 
damaged triptych of the fourteenth century. (21) 
Madonna and Child of the fourteenth century, Sienese 
school. 

Next enter the Salone, and proceed across the room, 
{i) Coronation of the Virgin, attributed to Spinello 
Aretino. (3) Madonna and Child, with S. John; Tuscan 
fifteenth century. (7) Madonna and Child, with S. John 
Baptist, by Bazzi. (10) Nativity, by Benvenuto di Gio- 



378 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

vanni del Guasta. (12) Crucifixion^ school of Filippo 
Lippi. (15) Mainardi, Madonna and Child. (23) Portrait 
of a lad 7; in the Florentine style of the early sixteenth 
century. (68) Madonna and Child; by Mazzola. (81) 
Portrait of a lady in the manner of Sustermann. 

In the centre of the room there is a collection of Service 
books with illuminations in the style of the fourteenth 
century. 

To reach the Church of S. Biagio^* from the piazza^ 
descend the Via Ricci^ and just before reaching S. Fran- 
cescO; turn sharply to the l. downhill. 

S. Biagio stands on a grassy terrace isolated from other 
buildings. It was begun in 15 18 by Antonio di Sangallo 
the elder ; but was not finished until 1681. It is a build- 
ing at one with itself ^ both inside and outside. It is de- 
signed in a style of simplicity and reserve ; it would be 
difficult to find a more satisfactory example of the detail 
of the decoration as it was understood in the early part 
of the sixteenth century. The nearest approach to over- 
loaded ornament is to be seen on the bell-tower^ which 
indeed might have been spared altogether. The best point 
of view for the building as a whole is where the tower 
is hidden by the dome. The church is a triumph of the 
grave and stately manner of the time. It should be com- 
pared with S. M. della Carcere at Prato^ by Giuliano San- 
gallo; and with S. M. della Consolazione at Todi. Op- 
posite to the church is the house of Sangallo (1518)^ with a 
loggia. 

To return to the town^ ascend the hill to the gateway, 
and continue along the Via Piana until we reach the Church 
of Sta. Lucia. 

In a side chapel to the r. of the nave is a fine Madonna 
and Child, by Luca Signorelli. The colour of the picture 
is deep and rich. Madonna has the simple and staid 
aspect which is typical of the artist. In the sacristy is an 
old processional banner. 

Close by is the Church of S. Agostino, with a Renais- 
sance fagade by Michelozzo. Over the door, a lunette. 



MONTALCINO 379 

with Madonna and Child^ SS. John the Baptist and 
Augustine. 

About ten minutes' walk from the town gate on the way 
to the station is the Church of S. Maria delle Grazie^ with 
a fine della Robbia altar-piece surrounding the miracle- 
working picture of Madonna and Child. There is an outer 
frame of fruit and leaves and an inner circle of cherub 
heads. The Father Eternal appears in an aureole^ and 
below are SS. John the Baptist^ Joseph; and the two 
women saints^ Agnes and Antilia. In niches to the l. and 
R. are figures of Mary and the Angel Gabriel. 

MONTALCINO 

The town stands on a hill five and a half miles from Tor- 
renieri station^ a drive of about an hour. Fair accommo- 
dation may be had at the inn^ '' II Giglio." 

The station of Torrenieri lies in the infertile creta lands^ 
and for some distance the road winds through bare fields 
and up treeless slopes, until it reaches the ridge upon 
which Montalcino stands. Here the scenery changes. 
The deeply fissured hills are covered with rich growth^ 
and the road for some distance is bordered with oak-trees. 
As we come within sight of the city^ seen in outline against 
the sky^ the number of great olive-trees (ulivastri); superbly 
picturesque in form^ are a striking feature in the landscape. 
The position of the town is magnificent^ standing on high 
ground between the valleys of the Orcia^ the Asso^ and 
the Ombrone. The views are a continual delight. From 
some points it is the Valley of the Ombrone that charms us ; 
from others it is the purple ridges of Monte Amiata. The 
finest view is from the high ground above the city^ and to 
reach this point the following route is recommended : — 
Leave the town by the road to Torrenieri^ and in about 
twenty minutes^ opposite to the Osservanza^ strike down 
the hillside to the r. Winding paths through the fields 
lead across the road to S. Antimo^ up to the top of the 
ridge. From here the view is magnificent : everywhere 



38o THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

mountain and valley in endless succession. To the north 
lies Siena; with the mountains of the Casentino on the 
north-east. To the north and west lies the Valley of the 
OmbronC; with the town of Roccastrada to the west. On 
the east is the Valley of the iVsso^ and the hill towns of 
MontepulcianO; Pienza and Quirico d'Orcia. The Valley 
of the Orcia lies to the south; with Monte Amiata in the 
background and the peaked outlines of the towns of Rocca 
d'Orcia and Campiglia d'Orcia to the south-east. Return 
to the town by the main road. Another picturesque 
route is by the road to the cemetery^ beyond the Fortress^ 
and through a series of winding paths, keeping to the L. 
until the main road between Montalcino and S. Angelo is 
reached. 

[The town of Montalcino existed in the time of the 
Lombards; and jurisdiction over the inhabitants; both 
temporal and spiritual; was given by the Emperor Louis 
the Pious to the abbots of the neighbouring Benedictine 
Abbey of S. Antimo. 

During the twelfth century; as the power of the abbots 
declined; the inherent desire and capacity for self-govern- 
ment of the citizens transformed the town into a Republic. 
Thanks to its commanding position; Montalcino became the 
coveted prize both of Siena and Florence. In 1202 ; after 
a long seigC; Siena succeeded in capturing the towU; and 
in holding it more or less persistently until her own dow^n- 
fall in the sixteenth century. The little Republic made 
various attempts to recover her independence; frequently 
with the assistance of Florence. After the victory of the 
Sienese party at Monteaperto in 1261; MontalcinO; having 
given help on the opposite side, hastened to make submis- 
sion. PardoU; however; was not granted without hard 
conditions. More than four hundred of the citizens of Mon- 
talcino had to assemble in the Campo at Siena ; and; with 
uncovered heads and bare feet; prostrate themselves before 
the Sienese carroccio; swearing fealty to the Republic. 
The walls of the town were razed; and at a later date the 
Sienese built the Rocca to command the inhabitants more 



MONTALCINO 381 

completely. In 1526 Montalcino made a heroic resistance 
against the troops of Clement VII., and in 1555, when 
Siena fell, a number of the inhabitants retired to Mon- 
talcino, and the unconquered little city set up a Republic 
which was maintained until 1559, when it surrendered to 
Cosimo I.] 

The streets of Montalcino have lost their mediaeval 
character in a large measure ; no tall towers remain. The 
architecture of the houses seems to have been modelled 
upon that of Siena. The characteristic Sienese windows, 
with two lights divided by a slender shaft and surrounded 
by a shallow archway^ may be noticed in the Corso and in 
the Via Ricasoli. 

In the centre of the town is the Municipio, formerly the 
Palazzo Pubblico, with the Piazza Margherita on one side 
and the Piazza Garibaldi on the other. The building has 
an open loggia and a high, slender clock-tower. 

In the Piazza Margherita is a large arcaded court, the 
loggiata, with pointed arches and coats-of-arms upon the 
fa9ade. Here also is the Pinacoteca, a small Picture 
Gallery, open daily. 

Bartolo di Fredt, Coronation of the Virgin. A large 
panel by a Sienese painter of the fifteenth century. 
Christ stands holding the cross, with blood pouring from 
His side into a chalice. S. Michael, with the dragon, is on 
the L. and S. Egidio on the R. 

Sano di Pietro. The Deposition. Also a small panel of 
Madonna and Child, by the same painter. 

On the upper line. Madonna and Child, of the fourteenth- 
century Sienese school. Below, Girolamo Benvenuto. The 
Nativity. 

Opposite, Bartolo di Fredi, The Baptism of Christ, and 
John the Baptist led into the desert. 

Bartolo di Fredi. Two pictures. In one, Franciscan 
brethren see the Blessed Filippo Cardelli carried up to 
heaven ; and in the other Cardelli heals a wounded 
man. 

Panels, with SS. Peter and Bernardino, Paul and Francis. 

2C 



382 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Also single figures of SS. Anthony of Padua and Nicholas 
of Tolentino. 

Two fine Bibles of the twelfth century, with illuminated 
initials. 

Passing up the Via Bandi; out of the Piazza Garibaldi, 
we reach two churches facing one another. S. Agostino 
(1380), with a fine round window, is at present under 
restoration. 

Corpus Domini. In the interior, to the r. and l. of the 
entrance, are two large wooden statues of Mary and the 
Angel Gabriel forming an Annunciation. They are painted 
and gilt, and although of poor workmanship have some of 
the characteristics of similar figures by Nino Pisano. 

Beyond S. Agostino on the l. is the Via Ricasoli, which 
leads up to the picturesque ruin of the Rocca or Castello, 
built by Messer Mino Foresio for the Sienese in the four- 
teenth century. Over the door of entrance is the Balzana, 
the arms of Siena. Inside the gateway are ruined walls, 
with battlements and a tower. 

Pass down the Via Ricasoli and, turning to the l., climb 
the Via Spagni. Before reaching the Duomo turn to the 
L. into the Vicolo S. Antonio. 

S. Antonio Abbate. Here there is another pair of 
wooden statues representing the Annunciation, superior to 
those in Corpus Domini. They are solid figures heavily 
robed, with large features, and lacking both in grace and 
vitality but full of reverential feeling. They date from 

1370- 

On the R. wall of the nave is a striking picture of the 
Crucifixion, with the city of Jerusalem in the background. 

In the sacristy there are several pictures : Madonna 
and Child, of the Sienese school ; six panels, each with a 
single figure of a saint on a gold background, probably 
parts of the same altar-piece. 

From the little piazza in front of the church there is a 
magnificent view over the surrounding country. 

The Duomo (S. Salvatore), a modern building, stands on 
the higher level; and may be reached from the Via Spagni. 



MONTALCINO 383 

_jThe Church of S. Maria del Soccorso may be visited on 
the way down to the town. In the churchy to the r. of the 
high altar^ is the Assumption of the Virgin, by Tamagni. 

Return to the Corso Umberto I., and in order to reach 
the Convent of S. Francesco, which forms a striking feature 
standing on a promontory below the town, cross the Corso 
and turn dow^n the first road to the R. In the Church of 
S. Pietro, which we pass on the way, are two pictures, a 
Crucifixion, with a gilt background, and a Madonna and 
Child, of the Sienese school, in the sacristy. 

There are several old houses in the streets at this part 
of the town with the shortened towers still standing ; two 
houses are picturesquely joined together by a covered 
bridge. 

The monastery attached to the Church of S. Francesco 
is now used as a hospital. Over the entrance door in the 
inside of the church is a charming work by Andrea delta 
Robhia, Madonna and Child, with SS. Peter and John the 
Baptist. The figures are white, on a blue ground, and the 
frame is a garland of green leaves and yellow fruits. 

On the R. side of the nave is a statue of S. Sebastian, by 
Sansavino (1507), also a Madonna in high relief by the same 
sculptor. In the sacristy are some pleasant frescoes painted 
at the end of the fifteenth century. On the wall facing is 
the Marriage of the Virgin. In the background, framed by 
an arch, are distant hills and feathery trees. The men and 
women grouped at the sides look like contemporary por- 
traits ; the costumes are elaborate, and many of the figures 
have a sentimental pose. On the opposite wall is the 
Birth of the Virgin. In the cloisters there are some dam- 
aged frescoes of the same period. 

The Osservanza lies about a mile beyond the gate, on the 
road to Torrenieri. In front of the church is a portico of 
five arches. In the interior, over the western door, an 
Assumption of the Virgin, by the Umbrian painter, Bonfigli ; 
S. Thomas kneels by the tomb and receives the girdle. 

Over the fourth altar to the r. is a Pieta by Bazzi, a some- 
what striking example of this artist in his more serious 



384 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

mood. On the fourth altar to the l. is S. Bernardino^ 
attributed to Pietro di Lapo, of the Sienese school. 

From the loggia at the back of the cloister there is one 
of the best views of the town^ with the mass of the Rocca^ 
the towerS; the churches^ with S. Francesco conspicuous 
among them, and the tiers of brown roofs forming an 
amphitheatre at the head of the valley which falls rapidly 
down to the plain below. 

S. ANTIMO 

This church is practically all that now remains of one of 
the great Benedictine abbeys of Tuscany. It is situated 
on the road from Montalcino to the railway station of 
Monte Amiata on the line between Siena and Grosseto — it 
is about six miles from Montalcino (one or one and a quarter 
hours to drive). From the Abbey (or its vicinity) to Monte 
Amiata station it takes about one hour to drive. The 
road from Montalcino winds downhill, with steep ravines 
branching off on all sides covered with ilex, oak and olive. 
It is impossible to drive up to the church ; visitors have 
a walk of perhaps a quarter of an hour. 

The church stands in a secluded valley shut out by 
ranges of low hills from the surrounding country. On 
one of these is the village of Castel Nuovo, the only sign 
of contact with the outer world. 

S. Antimo was a Roman priest martyred in the time of 
Diocletian. Having been rescued by an angel from the 
Tiber, into which he had been thrown, he was beheaded, 
and became the patron saint of Montalcino. The church 
is mentioned in a diploma of 814 given by Louis the Pious 
to Benedictine monks. In the eleventh and twelfth 
centuries the abbots had a wide jurisdiction, exercising 
almost sovereign power in Montalcino. In the thirteenth 
century the importance of the Abbey declined, and in the 
fourteenth century Boniface VIII., owing to the looseness 
of discipline, took the monastery from the Benedictines 
and gave it to the Guglielmites, a reformed branch of the 



S. ANTIMO 385 

Benedictine order founded in 11 19 by Abbot Guglielmus at 
Monte Virgine. The Guglielmites remained in possession 
until 1462^ when the Abbey was assigned to the diocese of 
Pienza by Pius II. 

The building is a remarkable example of the fine effect 
of sound material (travertine) and simple design^ it is an 
imposing mass of masonry determined by the need of 
sufficiently enclosing a choir and nave. The east end alone 
is built in an unusual manner ; it is a simple rendering of 
a design which was carried out with elaboration at S. 
Sernin at Toulouse^ where the building is attributed to the 
twelfth century. The Benedictine churches of Acerenza 
and Venosa in Southern Italy have apses of similar con- 
struction. The wall of the apse is carried to the height of 
the nave. Another semicircular wall^ rising to about half 
the height, encloses the ambulatory which surrounds the 
choir, and three small apses enclosing chapels which open 
out of the ambulatory complete the design. These sub- 
sidiary apses have buttresses in the form of columns with 
carefully worked capitals, instead of the more usual flat 
pilasters. The composition of the east end from the out- 
side is bald in its simplicity, there is none of the embellish- 
ment which Romanesque builders permitted themselves 
to use in Pisa and Lucca. The design might have satisfied 
the ascetic zeal of S. Bernard. The builders, however, 
had a wider justification than that, their work in the 
stately organism of its plan, in the stern severity of its 
detail, might be a reflection of the mind of S. Benedict 
himself. Standing, as it does, solitary and deserted among 
the olives and wheatfields, its amplitude, its freedom from 
distracting detail, its disregard of the non-essential gives 
a character of imposing dignity, a sense of domination too 
large for the accidental. 

The door on the southern side of the church is carved in 
the Romanesque style. On the lintel, birds and griffins are 
placed as if guarding the entrances from the dragons which 
attack them. The r. jamb is carved with foliage, the l. 
with characteristic braiding. 



386 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The western facade, so far as it exists^ dates from the end 
of the thirteenth century ; the carving suggests a know- 
ledge of the work done for the Cistercian churches of the 
time. 

The nave is covered with a wooden roof ; the aisles have 
circular ungroined vaulting ; the clerestory has small 
round-headed windows ; the triforium openings have two 
arches under a single circumscribing round arch, those in 
the western half of the nave are simpler than those nearest 
the choir. The nave arcade is formed of six columns on 
each side, with a pier in the middle. The use of a quad- 
rangular pier in the range of columns forming the nave 
arcade has been noted in the Church of S. Demetrius 
Salonica, built about a.d. 450. It was common in the 
Lucchese churches of the twelfth century. 

The altar is raised by four steps above the level of the 
nave ; beneath is the crypt with the tomb of S. Antimo. 
The altar is surrounded by an open and semicircular 
arcade of six. columns. Around this raised choir is a 
vaulted ambulatory out of which open three small chapels. 
Sig. Rivoira considers that the first example of an am- 
bulatory with ribbed vaulting and radiating chapels occurs 
in the Duomo of Aversa (1062-1078). The vaulting at S. 
Antimo is not ribbed, but the ambulatory and the chapels 
form an exceedingly fine piece of building ; it is interesting 
as an early form of the design which became such an im- 
portant feature in the Gothic churches of the north. 

The capitals throughout the church are of various de- 
sign. In some few cases there is the struggle between wild 
beasts or the apposition of animals ; in others, architectural 
forms, such as an arcading of arches, is carved on the capital, 
eagles with outspread wings and rams' heads are associated 
with crude designs of chequers and incised leaf forms ; in 
other cases there are stiff and rude adaptations of Ionic 
and Corinthian detail. The whole collection forms an inter- 
esting study in Romanesque sculpture, although there is a 
lack of the imaginative freedom and vigour which occurs 
in good Lombard examples. 




PJiofograpJi : Ah nan 

THE APSE OF THE CHURCH AT S. ANTmO 



MONTE AM I AT A 387 

At the west end of the l. aisle there is a rude wooden 
crucifix. 

On the eastern side of the campanile there are fragments 
of ancient sculpture : Madonna and Child ^ and a winged 
four-footed beast with snakelike coils of hair. 

There are some remains of the Abbey buildings con- 
nected with the churchy but^ except for a fragment of a 
small cloister^ they are of little interest. 



MONTE AMIATA 

The decisive feature in the open country to the south of 
Siena is Monte Amiata. It rises to about 5650 feet ; its 
top is generally covered with snow as late as the month of 
May. The district of which it is the centre may be 
reached from the station of Monte Amiata on the railway 
which runs from Siena to Grosseto^ it may also be ap- 
proached from Montepulciano by way of the Val d'Orcia^ 
or from Chiusi by way of Sarteano and Radicofani. The 
country is drained by three main streams : (i) by the Orcia^ 
which rises to the east and after flowing along the northern 
side of the mountain falls into the Ombrone ; (2) by the 
Paglia, which rises to the east^ flows southward to Orvieto 
and falls into the Tiber ; (3) by the Flora, which rises to 
the south and runs directly into the sea a little to the north 
of Corneto. 

On the slopes of the mountain there are a number of 
small towns of considerable interest, connected with each 
other and with the station of Monte Amiata by a good 
but mountainous road, beginning to the east at Campiglia 
d'Orcia. Then follow Abbadia S. Salvatore, Sta. Flora, 
and, on the west, Arcidosso. The following list will explain 
the situation and the approximate times for driving : — 

Monte Amiata station, 570 feet ; three and a half hours 
to Campiglia d'Orcia. 

Campiglia d'Orcia, 2600 feet ; one and a quarter hours 
to Abbadia S. Salvatore. 



SS8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Abbadia S. Salvatore^ 2720 feet ; half-an-hour to Plan 
Castagnaio. 

Pian CastagnaiO; 2570 feet; one and a half hours to 
Sta. Fiora. 

Sta. Fiora;, 2250 feet ; one hour to Arcidosso. 

Arcidosso^ 2213 feet ; two hours to Monte Amiata 
station. 

Campiglia d'Orcia is distant about two hours from 
Radicofani, about three and a half hours from the town of 
Montepulciano^ and about five hours from Montalcino^ 
passing Monte Amiata station on the way. At Abbadia 
S. Salvatore, Sig. Dottore Viti^ if applied to beforehand^ will 
generally be able to arrange for the accommodation of 
visitors. At S. Fiora there is an inn that should suffice for 
a short stay. In spring it is well to visit this district as 
late in the month of May as possible. June would be still 
better. 

Campiglia d'Orcia 

The road from Monte Amiata station to Campiglia rises 
steeply for almost the entire distance ; the views, on one 
hand towards the Valley of the Orcia, and on the other 
towards the mountain, are fine. The road passes through 
a sparsely peopled district with distant views of Rocca 
d'Orcia and Ripa d'Orcia, which stand on opposite sides 
of the valley, where the river runs through a narrow 
passage. Shortly before reaching Campiglia the buildings 
of Vivo are seen on the northern, slopes of the mountain. 
Near Vivo is a hermitage of the Camaldolesi, said to have 
been given to S. Romualdo by the Emperor Henry II. 

Campiglia is not an important place, but its situation is 
unusual. A huge conical mass of rock rises from the crest 
of the ridge which runs down from the mountain ; the mass 
is so large that it forms a feature in the landscape when 
seen from Radicofani far across the Orcia Valley. Many of 
the houses are built on the sides of the rock, and the paths 
which serve for streets are often steep stairs. A large iron 
cross rises upon the mass of rock above the whole. 



MONTE AMI ATA 389 

Above the village is the ruined castle of the Visconti, 
lords of Campiglia mentioned in documents of the eleventh 
century. The politics of this family consisted of quarrels 
with and submissions to the commune of Siena. In the 
fifteenth century the feud came into the possession of the 
Salimbeni family through marriage^ and in this same 
century there are records of dealings between the com- 
mune of Campiglia and the commune of Siena. 

After leaving Campiglia the road enters the forest 
country which is the great feature of the southern side 
of the mountain. The drive to Abbadia S. Salvatore 
occupies about one and a quarter hours. 

Abbadia S. Salvatore 

In mediaeval times the Abbey was the significant part of 
the place ; the buildings are detached from the town^ and 
are entered by a gateway. It was not until the thirteenth 
century that any communal liberty was granted to the 
towu; which is entered by another gateway. 

The streets are solidly built of stone^ without plaster 
or paint. The ways are narrow ; there is no em- 
phasis of form or colour. The dark weather-beaten 
houses suggest the life of a community long used to 
a common lot of poverty. The people no longer suffer in 
that way ; quicksilver mines have been opened on the 
mountain about a mile above the town^ and the broad road 
leading up to them is busy all day with workers coming and 
going, with the wives and children who carry meals to the 
men. A walk of an hour through the chestnut forest leads 
to a small chapel known as the Ermita. It is possible to 
extend and to vary excursions through the woods in all 
directions. 

The Benedictine Abbey of S. Salvatore is mentioned in 
745 ; in the tenth century the abbot had jurisdiction over a 
large territory ; in 1230 Gregory IX. gave the monastery 
to the Cistercians, who remained here until the suppres- 
sion in 1782. After the battle of Monteaperto the Sienese 



390 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

entered into possession, but by the help of Orvieto they 
were driven out and the Castello passed into the hands of 
the counts of Sta. Fiora, who in 1347 sold it to the Sienese. 
The buildings which stand within the Abbey precincts are 
the church, a school, and a few private dwellings. 

The crypt under the choir is the most ancient part of 
the church ; it is in charge of the municipal authorities, to 
whom application must be made for admission. The 
spacing of the pillars is irregular, the bays of the ungroined 
vaulting cover as a rule about six feet by seven feet six 
inches. The windows are round-headed slits, with an open- 
ing some four inches across. The work shows a curious 
mixture of elaborate forms and rude execution ; many of 
the columns are ornamented, some with perpendicular 
channelling, others with zigzags, and one is octagonal in 
form. The capitals are seldom alike. There are a few with 
leaf forms ; one has rams' heads, on another the rams' heads 
alternate with human heads ; one capital is carved with 
the heads of bulls, another has a rude vine scroll inter- 
mixed with animals ; braiding is carved on one capital and 
also on one of the columns. 

The interior of the church was restored in 1653, according 
to the taste of the time. In the r. transept there is a 
wooden crucifix, placed here in 1224. It does not follow 
the Byzantine tradition ; the head is erect, the eyes are 
open, the arms are stretched in the tension of life, the feet 
are nailed separately and rest on the board. There is also 
preserved in the church a copper-gilt bust, said to represent 
the Pope S. Mark : the head is ascribed to an early date, 
the shoulders and bust to 1381 ; the triple crown is sur- 
rounded by Florentine lilies. 

The ground falls away sharply behind the church ; there 
is a fine view of the Valley of the Paglia and the rock on 
which the castle and town of Radicofani stand. 

A pleasant picture has been drawn by Pope Pius II. of 
his life at the Abbey in the summer heat of 1462. The 
memory of his childhood at Corsignano (Pienza), on the 
other side of the Val d'Orcia, had endeared the country to 



MONTE AMI AT A 391 

him^ and after going there to see how his buildings were 
doing, he returned to S. Salvatore. He speaks with en- 
thusiasm of the forests of chestnut and oak, and how he 
received ambassadors and did business beneath some great 
tree or by some running stream. He was especially 
pleased with the library of the monastery, and in particular 
with a New Testament, perhaps the ^' Bible of Amiata " 
supposed to have been made in England and offered by the 
Abbot of Jarrow to the Holy See about 716. It is not 
known how it came to S. Salvatore. At the Suppression, 
it was taken to the Laurentian Library. 

Plan Castagnaio 

The road from Abbadia S. Salvatore to Pian Castagnaio 
has on the r. the chestnut forest and on the l. magnificent 
views of the Valley of the Paglia, of Radicofani, and the 
hill country to the south ; it takes about one and a quarter 
hours to walk, or half-an-hour to drive. The town is men- 
tioned in the ninth century ; most of its early history is 
made up of claims upon it by the abbots of S. Salvatore, 
the Aldobrandeschi and the Visconti of Campiglia d'Orcia. 
In 1286 Pope Honorius IV. ordered the Count of Sovana 
and Pitigliano to restore the town to the monks, but in 
1 30 1 it was again in the hands of Romana Orsini, who had 
married the granddaughter of Count Ildebrando, the last 
Aldobrandeschi Count of Sovana. In 1360 the town was 
under the control of Siena, and in 141 5 the people are said 
to have willingly yielded to the comm-une. In 1559 the 
place passed into the sovereignty of the Grand Duke 
Cosimo I., and in 1601 Ferdinand I. created it a feud in 
favour of Giovanni Battista Borbone del Monte, who in 
1604 built the palace still in existence. 

At the entrance of the town, to the l., is the convent 
church. Here is preserved the famous crucifix of Monte 
Amiata. When it is shown to visitors candles are lighted^ 
and those who may happen to be in the church gather 
round and kneel while the Creed is said. The crucifix is 



392 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

carried in procession^ under the care of Franciscans^ each 
year^ to some place in the neighbourhood. Every third 
year a visit is made to Siena, where it is placed in the 
DuomO; and for a week it is the centre of a religious festival. 
The procession in coming to and in leaving the town is 
impressive. On the wall of the nave, to the l., there is 
a fourteenth-century fresco, Madonna and Child. The 
cloister of the convent is still intact although no longer 
devoted to ecclesiastical use. Three sides are supported by 
light pillars of classical design ; on the fourth the roof is 
carried on square piers. 

From the convent the town is reached by a stately 
avenue of chestnut-trees. The entrance is through a castel- 
lated gateway, part of the building of a tower still in fair 
preservation and fine both in outline and in mass. The 
streets are narrow and steep, but more cheerful in aspect 
than those of Abbadia S. Salvatore, and the view from the 
piazza in front of the Palazzo Borbone is exceedingly fine, 
stretching away down the Valley of the Paglia in the direc- 
tion of Acquapendente, which is eleven or twelve miles 
distant, about two hours by carriage. 

Santa Fiora 

The drive from Pian Castagnaio to Santa Fiora takes 
about one and a half hours. The road crosses the water- 
shed between the rivers Paglia and Fiora. Of the villages 
passed Bagnolo is the most important. Some of the little 
clusters of houses lie among the chestnut- trees, only their 
roofs showing through the deep foliage. In mediaeval 
times Santa Fiora was the capital of one of the branches of 
the Aldobrandeschi family, and although ecclesiastically of 
less note than the Abbey of S. Salvatore, the town has an 
air of greater secular importance. The place is entered 
through part of the comparatively modern palace of the 
Cesarini, who succeeded the Sforzas, and in the^piazza there 
rises a heavy tower, part of the Rocca of the Aldobran- 
deschi, who preceded the Sforzas. If it happens to be a 



MONTE AMI AT A 393 

local festa the traveller will be surprised by the crowds of 
thriving people who fill the piazza and the streets to over- 
flowing. The town stands on a projecting mass of rock^ 
and about half w^ay down the steep street which descends to 
the river Fiora is the churchy in which are a number of 
pieces of glazed terra-cotta placed there by a Count Bosio 
Sforza. In the aisle over the baptismal font^ within a 
niche, is the Baptism of Christ. The Baptist kneels, Christ 
stands with folded hands. The figures are white, on a blue 
background ; the border is a polychromatic design of 
grapes, fruit and leaves. On the front of the pulpit is 
the Last Supper, at one end the Resurrection, at the other 
the Ascension, all with white figures on a blue ground. In 
the L. aisle, near the western door, there is a Composition, in 
glazed Vv^are ; in the centre, the Coronation of the Virgin ; 
to the L., S. Francis receives the stigmata; to the r., 
S. Jerome kneels in penitence before the cross. In the pre- 
della, the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Adoration of 
the Magi. A large chapel opens out of the l. aisle, in which 
members of the Sforza family were buried. The tombs 
are in front of the altar ; there are no monuments, but 
the spot is marked on the pavement by glazed tiles. Over 
the altar there is a small ciborium in glazed ware. Return 
to the main body of the church and pass behind the high 
altar, where there is a large design in blue and white glazed 
ware, the Assumption of the Virgin, who drops her girdle ; 
beneath, SS. Francis, Thomas and two other saints kneel 
in front of the tomb. In the predella, Christ among the 
Doctors, the Baptism of Christ, and the Deposition. In 
the sacristy there is a crucifix in glazed ware and an 
interesting copper-gilt reliquary. 

At the foot of the rock on which the town stands is the 
Church of S. Agostino, and near by is a sheet of ornamental 
water. When the rest of the country fell into the hands 
of the Grand Duke Cosimo, Santa Fiora remained in the 
hands of the Sforzas. The sovereignty was finally sold to 
the Grand Duke Ferdinand 11. 

At a short distance down the Valley of the Fiora is the 



394 THE SMALLM TUSCAN TOWNS 

Convent of the Trinity or La Selva. In it is preserved a 
glazed terra-cotta relief of the Trinity. The legend is that 
the reigning count set out alone to kill a serpent^ which 
had its place on the side of the mountain^ vowing to found 
a convent if he succeeded. The jawbone of the serpent 
kept in the church is said to be that of a crocodile. 

Arcidosso 

On leaving Santa Fiora for Arcidosso we pass near by 
the graveyard where the Prophet David Lazzaretti is 
buried. The road crosses the watershed between the 
rivers Fiora and Ente on a high ridge ; the view is exceed- 
ingly fine. The top of Monte Labbro (about 3800 feet) is 
clearly seen from many points. On it are the ruins of the 
buildings where the Prophet David lived and preached. 
About half way between Santa Fiora and Arcidosso lies 
the village of Bagnore. The whole drive occupies about an 
hour. 

The town of Arcidosso originally belonged to the Abbey 
of S. Salvatore. In the twelfth century the Aldobran- 
deschi were in possession ; in 133 1 the place was conquered 
by the Sienese^, who paid the Aldobrandeschi for their loss. 
The taking of the town is painted in the hall of the Palazzo 
Pubblico at Siena. From the small piazza formed by the 
meeting of roads pass through an archway and climb the 
staircase to the r. This leads to another piazza on the top 
of the hill dominated by the castle. Arcidosso is about 
fourteen miles from the station of Monte Amiata^ which 
may be reached in about two hours. 

David Lazzaretti^ the Prophet of Monte Amiata^, was 
born at Arcidosso in 1834. He was by occupation a bar- 
rocciaio or wine carrier. When a boy of fourteen^ a friar 
prophesied to him that the true direction of his life w^ould 
be revealed to him ; but it was not until he was thirty-four 
years old that the vision appeared. He went to Rome, told 
the Pope what he had seen, gave himself to penitence, 
retired to a cave at Subiaco, and had further revelations. 



MONTE AMI ATA 395 

In 1870-187 1 he became famous in Monte Amiata as a 
prophet. His Society of Christian Families had goods in 
common. They were divided into three grades^ the third 
and highest congregation (that of Faith) consisting of 
penitents and hermits who were bound to go on pilgrimage 
to the Seven Churches of Rome and to the grotto in which 
David had begun his new life. 

In 1873 the prophet was arrested by the secular autho- 
rities^ who were suspicious of his unguarded speech^ of the 
possible unrest arising from his prophecieS; and perhaps 
also of the practical application of the idea that all things 
should be in common. 

In 1876 David fell under ecclesiastical censure^ and in 
1877 the use of the chapel on Monte Labbro^ which had 
been originally consecrated by the Bishop of Montalcino^ 
was forbidden. The writings of the prophet at this time 
included ideas analogous to the Joachimism of the thir- 
teenth century. The reign of the Father (the rule of law)^ 
which had been followed by the reign of the Son (the rule of 
grace) was to be followed by the reign of the Spirit (the 
rule of justice). His cry of '' Viva la repubblica di Dio " 
gave as little satisfaction to the secular authorities as his 
denunciation of the '' Chiesa bottega'' could have given 
to the ecclesiastics. 

The end came in 1878. The festival of the Assumption 
was celebrated in abstinence and with prayer. A crowd; 
said to have numbered 3000 persons^ followed David 
and his disciples from Monte Labbro in procession to 
Arcidosso. The prophet appeared as the new Redeemer, 
the reign of justice was to begin. In the wide avenue 
which leads into the town the procession was met by the 
delegate of Public Safety and the Syndic ; the prophet 
refused to stop at the order of the authorities, and was shot 
down by the Carabinieri. He died a few days later, and 
was buried at Santa Fiora. The simple tragedy was per- 
haps the natural result of contact between the callous 
insensibility of the official mind and the spiritual idealism 
of the peasant. His sufficient epitaph is found in words 



396 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

ascribed to the Bishop of Montalcino^ " Would that our 
believers had the faith of the Lazzarettisti." 

The ascent of Monte Amiata may be made from various 
points ; from the western side, five hours on foot, and from 
Abbadia S. Salvatore three or three and a half hours may 
be allowed. 

The upper valleys of the Orcia and the Paglia differ 
from the valleys of Northern and Eastern Tuscany such 
as the Garfagnana and the Casentino. In Southern Tus- 
cany creta is seldom far away ; this difficult and hitherto 
infertile country has, however, a charm of its own : the 
charm of a desolate land, remote and wild, a land that 
has yielded but little to the hand of man but much to the 
spirit of those who have learned to love it. 

VALLEYS OF THE ALBENGA AND FIORA 

The writers have been prevented from visiting some 
interesting places in the most southern part of Tuscany ; 
they add the following notes, and references to sources of 
information, for anyone wishing to see a comparatively 
unvisited country which has aroused the enthusiasm of 
those who have travelled in it. 

Most of the towns are built on Etruscan sites. Many of 
them have picturesque remains of castles and walls built 
by the Aldobrandeschi, the commune of Siena and the 
Orsini ; all of them have excited admiration by the beauty 
or the magnificence of their situation. 

The best guide for the Etruscan sites is ^' The Cities and 
Cemeteries of Etruria," an account of the travels of Dennis 
between 1842 and 1847. A revision of the original edition 
was made by the author in 1878, and although sites have 
been more precisely identified since that time, and other 
discoveries have been made, the freshness of first im- 
pression and the romance of discovery still makes the 
book the best introduction for the ordinary traveller to the 
sites of ancient civilisation in Etruria. 

The mediaeval and Renaissance remains in the district 



THE ALBENGA AND FIORA VALLEYS 397 

have been exceedingly well illustrated in a monograph by 
Sig. C. A. Nicolosi; " La Montagna Maremmana/"' being 
vol. Ix. of the series published at Bergamo known as 
'' Italia Artistica." The photographic reproductions will 
leave no one in doubt as to the charm of the country. 

The two principal centres from which excursions may 
be made are the towns of Manciano and Pitigliano. These 
places are on the route of the motor omnibus, which runs 
from Albenga, a railway station between Grosseto and 
Orbetello. 

Manciano (about 1440 feet). The journey from Albegna 
to Manciano takes two and a quarter hours. Manciano 
is described by Dennis as standing '^ on a height com- 
manding one of those glorious and varied panoramas 
which give such a charm to Italy." Sig. Nicolosi tells us 
that the Rocca was built by the Sienese in 1424. 



Excursions from Manciano 

Montemerano (980 feet) lies about one hour to the 
north of Manciano. It was an Etruscan town, a Roman 
colony, and a residence of the Aldobrandeschi. It was 
sold to the Sienese in 1382. Sig. Nicolosi gives a number 
of illustrations of paintings in the Church of S. Giorgio by 
Sano di Pietro, Vecchietta and other Sienese artists. 

Saturnia (940 feet) lies about three miles to the north of 
Montemerano and about two and a half hours from Man- 
ciano. The distance in miles is no measure of the time 
required, and it is well to remember that the post carriage 
between Montemerano and Saturnia takes one and a half 
hours on the journey. Dennis speaks enthusiastically of 
the situation. " Few sites in Etruria have more natural 
beauty." There are some remains of ancient masonry, but 
the interest, apart from the situation, lies in the Etruscan 
tombS; formed of unwrought stones of great size, found on 
the Piano di Palma at some distance from Saturnia. The 
importance of the places lies in the past ; its interest is in 
2 D 



398 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

traditions of Sulla^ of the Saracens^ and of the Aldobran- 
deschi heiress^ Margaret. 

Pitigliano 

PitigUano (about looo feet). The motor omnibus takes 
about an hour between Manciano and Pitighano. Few 
towns in Etruria (says Dennis) are more imposingly 
situated and in the midst of finer scenery. Sig. Nicolosi 
compares the situation to that of Orvieto. Pitighano gave 
its name to a succession of counts of the Orsini family who 
inherited this part of the Aldobrandeschi territory by 
marriage with an Aldobrandeschi heiress ; they ruled for 
about three hundred years (i 297-1604). Their palace is 
one of the striking features in the town ; it has the charm 
of fortress-like building with delicate Renaissance detail. 
At a little distance from the town^ on the Poggio degli 
Strozzoni^ there are ruins of the Villa Orsini^ with two 
colossal figures cut out of the living rock. 

Excursions from Pitigliano 

Sorana (about 1200 feet) is five miles from Pitigliano^ or 
about one hour. Dennis describes the view from the 
mass of rock which rises in the centre of the town as the 
most romantic in this part of Italy ; he adds that as an 
Etruscan site it has little antiquarian interest^ but few such 
places have a greater claim on the artist. The Orsini 
fortress is the most interesting feature in the town. 

So vana is about two and a half miles from Pitigliano . The 
Etruscan remains in the neighbourhood are more important 
than at Sorana or Pitigliano. Dennis says^ "There is here 
a much larger number of cliff-hewn sepulchres than in any 
other Etruscan site ; and a far greater variety of archi- 
tectural decoration." 

Sovana is associated with the Countess Palatine Margaret^, 
the only daughter of the last Aldobrandeschi count of the 
branch of that family which ruled in this part of the 
country. Her first husband was Guy of Montfort. Their 



THE ALBENGA AND FIORA VALLEYS 399 

daughter, Anastasia, married, in 1297, Romano Orsini. 
From this pair the Orsini counts of PitigHano descended. 

The Duomo of Sovana still retains some features of the 
original Romanesque structure. The fortunes of the 
town were wrecked by the Sienese in 141 o. 

There are many other interesting places in the district, 
such as Roccalbenga, Scansano, Magliano and the neigh- 
bouring ruins of S. Bruzio, the ruins of the Abazia di 
S. Robano, near Albarese station, and Ansedonia near 
Orbetello. 



V 
WESTERN TUSCANY 

VOLTERRA 

VOLTERRA may be reached by driving from Colle di 
Val d'Elsa^ or from S. Gimignano. The approach 
from S. Gimignano leads over bare ridges and along deep 
valleys. The time required is from three and a half to four 
hours, but no one will regret the excursion. Volterra is 
seen for the greater part of the way on the sky-line. The 
visitor may also drive from Pontedera (on the line between 
Pisa and Florence), up the Valley of the Era. This road is 
longer ; probably five and a half or six hours would have 
to be allowed. From Cecina (on the main line from Pisa 
to Rom.e) a branch railway runs up to Saline, and thence 
a steep road leads to Volterra, requiring one to one and a 
half hours for driving. The town is nearly 1800 feet 
above the sea-level ; the view from the Rocca commands 
a vast extent of mountain country. From the terrace 
near the hotel, the Mediterranean seems to lie at our feet, 
although it is twenty-five miles away. On the eastern 
side of the town a number of narrow and well-wooded 
valleys run down into the low country. Through these 
valleys and over the intervening ridges there are many 
footpaths, giving the opportunity of a great variety of 
lovely walks. 

[Very little is known of Volterra as an Etruscan city ; 
but from the extent of the walls, and from the fact that 
she was rich in mines, forests, and territory, the city must 
have been one of importance, and probably formed part 

401 



402 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

of the Etruscan Federation. The records of Volterra in 
Roman times also are scanty. The city appears to have 
had command of a port at Vada (now Torre di Vada)^ and 
in the second Punic War furnished corn and wood for the 
fleet. In the civil wars^ Volterra sided with Marius^ and 
was besieged for two years. After her defeat she was only 
saved from being made a mihtary colony by the eloquent 
defence made in her favour by Cicero. 

In the sixth century two priests, Giusto and Clemente, 
fleeing from the persecutions of the Arian Vandals in 
Africa, were shipwrecked, together with Bishop Regulus, 
on the coast near Populonia. Regulus died here, and his 
body was afterwards carried with great honour to Lucca. 
Giusto and Clemente made their way, unhurt by dragons, 
through the savage country, until they reached Volterra, 
which they found besieged by hordes of barbarians. Hav- 
ing taken counsel with God they decided to enter the city 
and encourage the inhabitants. They miraculously 
multiplied the almost exhausted stores, and advised the 
citizens to throw down bread to the starving besiegers, 
who at sight of such abundance lost hope and withdrew. 
Giusto was made bishop in 530, and both saints became 
patrons of the city. 

During the early Middle Ages supreme power was 
nominally in the hands of a feudatory of the Empire ; it 
gradually passed into the hands of the Bishop. The 
mediaeval town, about a third in extent of the ancient 
city, had surrounded itself with walls, probably in the 
tenth century. The bishops however owned much territory 
in the neighbourhood, including mines and forests, and 
had jurisdiction over San Gimignano and other small 
towns. During the twelfth century this power fell into 
the hands of one family, the Pannocchieschi. Three 
strong men, Galgano (1183 ?), Aldebrando (1186), and 
Pagano (12 12) succeeded one another as bishops. But 
the desire for self-government was growing among the 
people. After a long and bitter struggle the power of the 
bishops was curbed, and the citizens, constituting them- 



VOLT ERR A 403 

selves a commune, began the labour, shared by all the 
Italian Republics, of conquering the feudal lords of the 
neighbourhood, forcing them to live within the walls and 
to serve the city as fighting knights. During the thir- 
teenth and fourteenth centuries the history of Volterra is 
a record of faction fights between the rival nobles or 
Grandi (who as a rule used the party names of Guelph and 
Ghibelline as a cover for private ambitions), of attempted 
reconciliations, of banishments, of the struggles of the 
people against the Grandi to obtain a greater share in the 
government, of the efforts of the larger states, Florence, 
Siena and Pisa, to get possession of so valuable a prize. 

In the middle of the fourteenth century the family of 
Belforti rose to supremacy under a certain Ottaviano. 
The rival family of Allegretti were driven from the city 
and from their castle of Berignone, and the Belforti 
managed to make use of the interference of Florence in 
their own interest. In 1343, on the occasion of the mar- 
riage of his son to a daughter of the Aldobrandeschi of 
Santa Fiora, Ottaviano entertained in the manner of a 
prince. A fifteen days' banquet w^as held in the piazza, 
at which ambassadors from Florence, Pisa, Siena, the 
sons of the Visconti of Milan and of Mastino della Scala, 
as well as many lords of Lombardy, wxre present. The 
sons of Ottaviano quarrelled, and the eldest plotted to 
sell the city to Pisa. The citizens believed that their 
safety lay in the protection of Florence. The Belforti 
traitor was beheaded in the piazza (1361), and Florence 
appointed a Captain of the People.^ During the fifteenth 
century efforts towards greater liberty were made by the 
people, but the Florentine forces, with the help of Forte- 
braccio, wxre too strong for them, and in 1427 the heroic 
leader, Giusto Landini, was betrayed and throw^n from the 
windows of the Prior's Palace. In 1472 a quarrel between 
certain Florentines and the citizens of Volterra on the 
subject of some newly discovered alum mines gave 
Lorenzo dei Medici the opportunity of sending a large 
force, under the Duke of Urbino, to take possession of the 



404 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

city. In 1530^ when the Florentine fortunes were ad- 
verse^ Volterra made an unsuccessful but heroic attempt 
to regain her liberty. Much hope was based on the pieces 
of artillery sent by the Pope^ but the Sienese saint, Bran- 
danO; who went through the city crying, '^ Woe to Vol- 
terra, you shall have your cannons, but the city shall be 
sacked," proved a true prophet. 

After this date Volterra ceased to have any individual 
history. With the fall of the Florentine Republic she 
passed into the power of the Medici, and her history be- 
came part of that of Tuscany.] 

The Piazza Maggiore is surrounded by massive mediaeval 
buildings ; there are few places in Tuscany which have 
seen so little change since the thirteenth century. 

The Palazzo Pretorio has three large archways, forming a 
loggia, on the ground floor. In the entrance archway are 
the arms of the various captains who held office in Volterra 
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The palace 
was reconstructed in 1223 by the commune, who acquired 
private houses for the purpose ; among these was the dwell- 
ing of the Topi family. It is supposed that the animal 
resting on a bracket on the tower of the palace is the 
'^ topo " (a rat), the ensign of this family. 

The Episcopal Palace has only been used since 1472, 
when the Florentines destroyed the old Palazzo Vescovile, 
which stood on the site of the Fortress. 

The House of the Monte Pio is a m_odern build- 
ing, planned so as to harmonise with the ancient 
structures. 

The Palace of the Priors. The communal palace, built 
between 1208 and 1254, when the short-lived commune 
was at the height of its power, rises on the right-hand side 
of the piazza, entering from the Duomo. It is a massive 
building, rising from the pavement like the side of a great 
rock, with few architectural features. The loggia which 
covered the front door was removed by the Florentines in 
1472, when they conquered the city. The two-light win- 
dows are irregularly disposed. The tower was recon- 



VOLT ERR A 405 

structed after an earthquake in the nineteenth century<»: 
It rises at a corner of the palace. 

The arms of the commune and of the people are sculp- 
tured on the fagade. The arms of the people show a red 
cross on a white shield ; the arms of the commune^ a 
griffin with a snake in its claws. At the angle of the 
palace is the Marzocco^ on the top of a column^ placed here 
by the Florentines at the time of their conquest^ 1472. 

Interior. On the upper floor is a small Picture Gallery. 
On entering turn to the r. 

(7) Deposition from the Cross^ by II Rosso. 

(No number) The Annunciation^ by Luca Stgnorelli. 
The Virgin receives the angel's message in a Renaissance 
portico. In the sky the Father Eternal appears in a glory 
of awkwardly posed angels^ sending down the Dove. 

(5) Madonna and Child; with the Baptist^ Joseph^ 
and SS. Francis and Anthony of Padua. 

(4) S. Sebastian between SS. Bartholomew and 
Nicholas of Bari^ by Nen di Bicci, probably a votive 
plague picture. 

(24) S. Nicholas of Tolentino^ and S. Peter^ by Taddeo 
Bartolo, of Siena. 

An elaborate altar-piece in three parts^ by Alvaro Porto- 
ghese. Madonna and Child; with saints. 

(22) Priamo di Piero. Madonna and Child. iVn oval 
picture in the Sienese manner. 

(21) Taddeo di Bartolo^ Madonna and Child; with 
cherubim. 

(19) A large altar-piece in the manner of Taddeo Bartolo; 
from the sacristy of S. Agostino. Madonna and Child; 
holding a sprig of olive and a goldfinch; with SS. Nicholas; 
JameS; Christopher and Anthony the Abbot. 

(12) Benvenuto di Giovanni, a Sienese painter. The 
Nativity; a confused and feeble picture. 

(13) A crucifix in the rude native manner; of Italo- 
Byzantine workmanship. 

Leonardo da Pistoia. Madonna and Child; with saints. 
Two child angels read from a scroll; in the foreground. 



4o6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

(ii) Benvenuto di Giovanni. This is the predella of 
(12) Scenes from the life of the Virgin. 

(8) Attributed to Ghirlandajo. Christ in Glory. In the 
foreground are two early Christian martyrs^ patrons of 
Volterra;, SS, Attinia and Greciniana. 

In a smaller room. (49) Fragment of a fourteenth-century 
fresco. (30) Justice^ a fresco^ by Daniele da Volterra. 

On the floor below is the Sala del Consiglio; a floridly 
decorated room^ with a spacious fresco painted by Jacopo 
di done Orgagna, and Niccolo di Pietro Lamberti, in 1382. 
The Annunciation; with SS. Cosmo^ Damiano^ Giusto and 
Clemente. 

Houses and Streets. Most of the houses are built of 
a brown stone in massive rugged blocks. The tower- 
houses (case torre) built for defence^ by the lords of 
Volterra^ in the time of the commune^ are a marked 
feature. Interspersed with these great mediaeval buildings 
are palaces of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 
The principal tower-houses are those of the Buonparenti^ 
Guidi and Allegretti^ in the streets which lead from the 
Piazza Maggiore^ the Via dei Guidi^ Via Garibaldi^ and 
Via Buonparenti. 

In the Via Guidi there are several examples of houses 
with '^ children's windows/' small openings made in the 
stone about two feet below the windows-sill. 

The sacred monogram of S. Bernardino^ who came to 
Volterra in 1424^ appears above many doorways. 

The Duomo. The buildings which w^as reconstructed 
in 1 1 20; is in the Tuscan Romanesque style. It has the 
characteristic shallow arcading on either side of the door^ 
an arcaded gallery running under the cornicC; and a 
coffered ornament of black and white in the tympanum. 
In 1257 the church was enlarged in gratitude for deliver- 
ance from the Florentines; and; according to the tradition; 
handed down by Vasari. The work was done by Niccolo 
Pisano, according to tradition. 

The campanile; which has two-light windowS; with round 



VOLT ERR A 407 

archeS; is joined to the cathedral by a plain stone building 
with square lights. 

The Interior has massive columns supporting the nave 
arches ; it still preserves the sombre dignity of the Roman- 
esque style, although it was entirely remodelled in the 
sixteenth century, when the capitals were transformed, the 
walls painted and ornamented with the arms of the Bishop 
of Volterra, and a new roof made. 

Inside the door, against the wall, are a number of frag- 
ments of sculpture, remains of the old church before 
its restoration. To the right, scenes from the life of 
S. Regulus. He is condemned by the judge, beaten or 
tortured in some fashion, and finally beheaded. In the 
fourth panel, his body, which had been thrown out of the 
town, is found guarded by two lions. These reliefs are 
evidently of the fourteenth century, and have been attri- 
buted to Agostino and Agnolo of Siena, who made the great 
tomb for the Bishop Tarlati in Arezzo. To the left are 
reliefs representing S. Ottaviano giving clothes to the poor, 
with his burial below, and in the third the translation of his 
body into the Duomo. It is supposed that all the reliefs 
may have formed part of the tomb of S. Ottaviano, who 
was one of the patron saints of Volterra. 

The alter-pieces are works of the sixteenth century, and 
of no special interest. 

The Pulpit is an interesting work forming one of a group 
of pulpits (at Barga, near Lucca, at the churches of S. 
Miniato and Arcetri in Florence), which date from the end 
of the twelfth to the early part of the thirteenth century. 
The oblong pulpit is supported on four lions, crushing 
various kinds of animals under them, and symbolising the 
triumph of Virtue over Vice. The ornaments are formed 
by inlays of black and white marbles, and there is some 
fine carving in the foliage scrolls. The subjects are : to 
the L., the Annunciation and Visitation ; on the back, the 
Sacrifice of Isaac, typical of the Sacrifice of Christ ; on the 
front, the Last Supper. Christ is seated at the end. John 
leans against him, Judas kneels at Christ's feet and receives 



4o8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

the sop. Under the table is the great dragon^ Hterally 
illustrating the text, '' After Judas had eaten of the sop 
Satan entered into him." 

At the entrance to the Choir are elaborately carved and 
twisted columns of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, 
surmounted by candle-bearing angels, the work of Mino 
da Fiesole, The boyish kneeling figures are graceful, but 
they have not the delicate charm, nor the subtle sweet- 
ness that one finds in the masterpieces of this sculptor. 

To the R. of the choir is the Altar of S. Ottaviano, the 
hermit saint. The richly ornamented Renaissance urn, by 
Rafj-aello Cioli of Settignano (1522), contains the relics. 

Beyond this, above the next altar, is a Deposition from 
the Cross, with life-size figures carved in wood, and coloured. 
This is a skilful piece of carving of the Romanesque period, 
but the modern distaste for coloured sculpture makes it 
difficult to appreciate the true feeling and fine sentiment 
of the figures. 

To the L. of the western entrance is an altar front, of 
carved marble panels, in the style of the font by Guido da 
Como, in the baptistery of Pisa. 

Above the side door is a striking portrait, in terra-cotta, 
by Giovanni della Rohhia, of S. Lino, Bishop of Volterra. 
The expression is both shrewd and saintly. 

In the Cappella della Vergine, close by, are polychrome 
terra-cotta figures, representing the Adoration of the 
Magi ; the background was painted by Benozzo Gozzoli. 

The Baptistery fronting the cathedral is said to date 
from the time of the Karlings ; it was restored probably 
in the thirteenth century, and partly faced with marble. 
It is octagonal, as was a common custom. The round- 
arched doorway is plain and effective ; on the capitals are 
Romanesque carvings. 

The interior is bare, and one gets the full effect of the 
fine masonry. Each of the eight sides has two narrow 
round-arched windows. In the centre is a modern font 
with a fifteenth-century figure of the Baptist. 



VOLTERRA 409 

The high altar is framed in a Renaissance niche by the 
brothers Balsimelli of Settignano. The elaborately carved 
pilasters^ with fruit and flowers^ should be noticed. 

The ciborium or tabernacle begun by Mino da Fiesole 
(147 1 ) is not very graceful in construction. On the top is 
the Baptist as a little boy, blessing ; adoring angels guard 
the door. 

In a niche to the r. is the original baptismal font, by 
Sansavino (1502). On the sides are figures of Charity, 
Justice, Faith and Hope, and the Baptism of Christ. 

The Fortress dates from two periods. In 1292 the 
commune built a round tower and prison adjoining the 
Bishop's palace. In 1472 the Florentines, after their 
conquest, pulled down the Bishop's palace, with its adjoin- 
ing church, and built a great Rocca in a style suited for the 
use of artillery. The central round tower was called " II 
Maschio," and the old tower became known as ^' La Femina." 
The Rocca was built by the Arte della Lana of Florence, 
which reimbursed itself from the revenues of the Volterra 
copper and alum mines. The conspirators concerned in 
the Pazzi plot were confined in the prison of the Maschio in 
1478. 

*Tlie Museum 

(In the Via Settembre 31 . Open every day from nine a.m. 
to four P.M. Admission, i lira.) 

The museum has a splendid collection of Etruscan urns, 
bronzes, vases, etc., found in the neighbourhood. The 
collection is admirably classified and arranged so that 
there is no need of a detailed description of the objects. 

On the ground floor, the funerary urns are divided into 
four classes. 

Class I. Simple urns, with no reliefs carved on the sides. 
Some are in the shape of a house with a sloping roof. 
Many have recumbent figures on the cover, portraits of the 
dead person whose ashes are enclosed in the urn. The 
figures are of both men and women ; but there are no 
children. Many are rudely formed, most are dispropor- 



4IO THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

tionately shorty and the head is often too large ; but they 
have the intimacy and the vivid personahty of studies 
made from the hfe. We can learn much of the habits^ 
manners and characters of the Etruscans from these 
portrait studies. Every effort is made to express a state 
of well-being and contentment. The men^, many of whom 
are grossly fat^ recline in easy positions and hold plates 
and drinking cups. They are often only partly clothed^ 
and wear chaplets. The women have quite as large and 
elaborate urns as the men ; they are always clothed^ and 
hold fanS; flowers and tablets^ an indication that some at 
least could read and write. 

The faces are seldom beautiful ; they picture a race of 
strong and vigorous people keenly appreciative of material 
enjoyments. On the cover of one urn an elderly couple 
are represented lying side by side with unconventional 
ease^ their eyes fixed upon one another. 

Class II. Urns with symbolical figures on the sideS; as 
shields;, flowers^ animals. 

Class III. Urns with demons^ gods of the underworld, 
Medusa heads^ griffins/ Furies, etc. 

Attend a,nt spirits, both good and evil, appear in the 
reliefs. Charun, a brutal man with tusks and a large nose 
{the prototype of the mediaeval devil) is generally armed 
with a mallet. He strikes down his prey or drags it to the 
tomb. The Fates and Furies are winged females carrying 
torches. The Medusa heads and the griffins were re- 
garded as guardians warding ofi those who might molest 
the dead. 

Class IV. Urns with scenes of farewell, of deathbeds, 
and of the journey of the soul to the underworld. This 
collection is unusually rich in scenes of this description. 
The journey of the soul in a covered cart drawn by horses 
with drooping heads and accompanied by Furies is peculiar 
to Volterra. 

In some cases the soul is alone on horseback, or accom- 
panied by Furies. There are also funeral processions, and 
many pathetic scenes of farewell. 



VOLTERRA 411 

In the cortile there are several architectural fragments^ 
and on the wall of the staircase Greek and Latin inscrip- 
tions. 

On the first floor are a great number of urns^ all of a 
comparatively late date (third and second century b.c.)^ 
with scenes from Greek mythology. These are divided 
into subjects, all as a rule describing some tragic death. 
The sin of presumption against the decrees of the im- 
mortals; or the bloodshed of kindred (the crime of 
crimes among primitive societies)^ are shown as receiving 
a just retribution. These tragic scenes of death^ slaughter 
and sacrifice are in striking contrast to the state of luxuri- 
ous repose expressed by the figures on the lids. 

I. The Heroic subjects. These include the Death of 
Clytemnestra^ the Transformation of the Companions of 
Ulysses by Circe^ the Expiation of Orestes ^ and various 
unidentified scenes of combat and sacrifice. 

II. The legend of Thebes. Include Dirce bound to the 
bull^ CEdipus slaying Laius. The slaughter of the brothers 
Eteokles and Polynikes^ with Furies standing guard on 
either side. 

At the siege of Thebes^ w^here Capaneus falls from the 
ladder struck by Jove's thunderbolt; the gate represented 
is the Porta all'Arco of Vol terra. 

III. The Trojan legend. The rape of Helen^ w^here a 
Fury flies above their heads ; the death of Troilus^ and of 
Agamemnon ; Orestes slays his mother ; and the sacrifice of 
Iphigenia. It has been noticed that the sacrifice of Iphi- 
genia only occurs on the tombs of women^ and this may 
have some relation to the sacrifices of young maidens to 
the goddess Cupra (Juno); w^hich continued as a practice 
among the Etruscans long after human sacrifices had been 
abandoned by the Greeks. It is probable^ however^ that 
at the date of these Volterra urns (third and second 
centurieS; B.C.) the subjects chosen were traditional. 

The remaining five rooms contain painted vases of 
various shapes and styles^ idols and statuettes^ fragments 
of pictures and sculp ture^ gameS; and many diverse" 



412 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

objects in bronze found in the tombs. Notice particularly 
a stele in tufo^ representing a warrior^ of very early date, 
perhaps sixth century B.C. The Greek vases found in 
such numbers in the Etruscan tombs were largely im- 
ported from Greece ; but a certain number were evidently 
made in Etruria in imitation of the Greek models. These 
can generally be recognised by the introduction of the 
demons and Furies peculiar to Etruscan mythology. 

On the staircase in the upper part of the museum build- 
ing there are fragments sculptured in Rx>manesque and 
pointed styles which have been gathered from ancient 
churches destroyed by the denudation of the Baize. 

S. Agostino. (Piazza Venti Settembre.) To the l. of the 
main entrance is a damaged fresco of the Crucifixion^ of the 
fourteenth century. 

In the sacristy there is an ancona in three parts, dated 
1407. The figures of Madonna and a number of saints 
are on a gold background, with richly embroidered 
robes. 

S. Miehele. (In the Piazzetta di S. Michele at the begin- 
ning of the Via Guarnacci, a continuation of the Via 
Guidi.) This is a very ancient building, reconstructed in 
the thirteenth century. 

The fagade is arcaded in black and white marble, and 
the capitals are carved in the Romanesque style. Above 
the door is a statue of Madonna and Child, in the Pisan 
manner, of the fourteenth century. On the wall to the l. 
is the coat-of-arms of the Farnese family. To the l. of the 
high altar is a glazed terra-cotta statue of Madonna and 
Child set in a niche with a graceful Renaissance frame. 
The group is attributed to Giovanni delta Robhia. 

Behind the Church of S. Michele a short, steep street leads 
to the picturesque public fountain and washing place, 
the Fonte Docciola, built in 1245. 

Near by is the Porta Docciola, a massive building, with 
several arches covered with wild creepers and shrubs. 
Paths descend at this point into one of the lovely little 



VOLTERRA 413 

valleys that run up to the walls of the town. Looking up- 
wards there are many picturesque bits of the mediaeval 
walls to be seen. Turning to the l. we may walk round 
to the Porta Fiorentina, where there are the ruins of the 
ancient theatre ^ commanding a glorious view. To the l. 
of the gate as one enters the town is the old fortress attri- 
buted to the Countess Matilda. 

San Francesco. This church, at the end of the Via 
Ricciarelli, was built, it is said, in the lifetime of S. Francis, 
hence before 1226. 

Like many other Franciscan churches, it has been the 
favourite burying-place for notable citizens. 

The interior has been entirely transformed. Out of the 
R. aisle, near the high altar, a door leads into the pointed 
Chapel of the Cross, covered with frescoes, by Ser Cenni of 
Florence, in 1410. The paintings are not of great merit ; 
the brilHant colouring is hard and recalls some of the poorer 
work in the Campo Santo at Pisa. On the apse walls : the 
Annunciation, Presentation, Nativity, and Massacre of 
the Innocents on one wall ; opposite, the Flight into 
Egypt, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Assumption of the 
Virgin. 

The other pictures relate to the history of the True 
Cross. Begin with the lunette on the r. Seth, the son of 
Adam, plants a branch of an apple-tree from the Garden 
of Eden on his father's grave. The Queen of Sheba 
recognises the holy wood, in use as a bridge (lunette of 
entrance wall). The wood, discovered in a pool, is used 
for the making of the cross (lunette on the l.). 

S. Helena recognises the cross which works miracles 
(lunette of the wall to the r. of altar). 

Chosroes, King of Persia, steals the cross (wall to l. of 
entrance). 

Heraclius the Emperor has a vision (wall round the 
entrance door). 

Heraclius, having conquered Chosroes, brings the cross 
to Jerusalem (wall to r. of entrance). 

On the roof are the Four Evangelists, and in the frames 

2 E 



414 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

and dividing spaces between the frescoes are figures and 
busts of Franciscan saints^ prophets ^ and martyrs. 

The picture on the altar is a Crucifixion^ with Mary^ John^ 
and the Magdalen^ once attributed to Bazzi^ perhaps the 
work of Bartolommeo Neronj. 

Out of the Porta S. Francesco^ by the road which leads 
to the best preserved remains of the Etruscan walls^ we 
pass the fagade of the ruined Church of S. StefanO; arcaded 
in the Pisan style with diagonal ornaments. 

Close by^ under some trees^ is a worn Roman statue^ 
popularly called '' II prete Marzio." 

The Baize. Beyond the Church of S. Stefano is the 
famous Balze^ a vast ravine where the friable soil of the 
mountain-side is gradually being worn away. The erosion 
appears to have been in progress in the twelfth century^ 
when the old Church of S. Clemente was destroyed. In 
the seventeenth century another churchy S. Giusto^ was 
swallowed up^ and in 1895 ^^^ Badia was completely 
wrecked ; the ruined walls of the nave^ and part of the tower 
are still to be seen. Attempts have been made at various 
times to prevent the work of destruction^ but without 
success. The present Church of S. Giusto is an eighteenth- 
century building. 

S. Girolamo. Less than a mile from the Porta a Selci^ 
on the Viale dei Ponti^, is the Church of S. GirolamO;, founded 
in the fifteenth century. 

In the portico are a number of carved sepulchral stones. 
In the chapel to the r. is a fine terra-cotta bas-relief^ with 
white figures on a blue ground , by Giovanni delta Rohhia. 
In the centre^ S. Francis gives the Rule of his order to 
S. Louis of France and to Sta. Chiara. The three Virtues 
of the Rule^ Poverty^ Chastity^ and Obedience^ float above 
S. Francis' head. 

In the chapel to the l.^ the property of the Inghirami 
family^ is another work^ by Giovanni delta Rohhia, repre- 
senting the Last Judgment. S. Michael^ surrounded by a 



MASSA MARITTIMA 415 

crowd of kneeling souls^ in the foreground; grasps one by 
the hair. 

In the interior are two interesting pictures. To the l. 
of the high altar^ an Annunciation^ by Benvenuto di Gio- 
vanni, of Siena, a gay, decorative panel. The angel, Mary 
and S. Catherine are sweet and gracious figures. 

To the L. is a picture of Madonna, wath four saints in the 
background and SS. Jerome and Francis kneeling in the 
foreground. It is probably the work of some second-rate 
Florentine artist. 



MASSA MARITTIMA 

This town (about one and a half hours by train from 
Follonica, on the line between Pisa and Grosseto) has a 
magnificent situation on a rocky hill over 1300 feet in 
height, surrounded on the north and w^est by densely 
wooded heights. To the east and south lies the level 
stretch of Maremma, with the hills of Gavorrano and 
Scarlino, and beyond, the Gulf of Follonica and the 
island of Elba. Above the town is a vast stretch of open 
down which falls away to the south in precipitous rocks 
covered with a luxurious growth of shrubs and scented 
herbs. The picturesque towers and buildings of the town, 
the rich undergrow^th, far-extending woods, and the distant 
view of plain, sea, and island, make this one of the most 
charming places in Tuscany. 

In the immediate neighbourhood are mines of copper, 
alum, lignite and lead, which form the principal industry 
of the inhabitants. 

[The country, which lies between Massa and the sea, 
was one of the important centres of Etruscan civilisation. 
The precise site of the two ancient cities, Populonia and 
Vetulonia, is a matter of controversy, but whether the 
modern Piombino and Massa be founded upon the ruins 
of these ancient cities or not, there is no doubt that they 
also existed as tow^ns in Etruscan times. 



41 6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

After the destruction of Populonia by the Lombards 
in the eighth century^ according to tradition, the Bishop 
removed to Massa, carrying with him the relics of S. Cerbone, 
an African martyr. 

During the tenth and eleventh centuries, the citizens 
were entirely in the power of the bishops, who were large 
feudal proprietors, and possessed a strongly fortified castle 
built on the highest part of the town. Massa from an 
early period was divided into higher and lower towns, each 
preserving throughout its history a separate character and 
interest. The upper town was the seat of the ecclesiastical 
power, and in later times the stronghold of the Sienese 
party. The lower town was the centre of the communal 
life, and here were built the Duomo and the palaces for the 
governors. The history of the commune dates from about 
the middle of the twelfth century, when the citizens had 
attained to some form of free government, and the in- 
dustry from the mines had become prosperous. Early in 
the thirteenth century the commune began to enter into 
competition with the feudal owners, buying territory in the 
neighbourhood, and engaging troops of fighting knights. 
The citizens assumed the arms of a rampant lion on a red 
ground, and in course of time coined their own money. 
The power of the Prince Bishops was already declining, 
and in 1225 the townsmen were able to purchase their 
freedom in exchange for the discharge of Episcopal debts. 

In her struggle against the feudal lords of the Maremma, 
who surrounded her on all sides, Massa obtained help by 
forming alliance, at one time with Pisa, and at another with 
Siena. During the thirteenth century the upper and 
lower towns were divided between the rival supporters of 
the two allies, those who favoured Siena in the upper and 
the adherents of Pisa in the lower. The Pannocchieschi, 
the most important of Massa's feudal neighbours, were the 
leaders in the upper town, and by their intrigues and inter- 
ferences frequently brought about embroilments between 
Massa and the Sienese Republic. The Pisan faction was 
led by the Todini, and this party, rising to ascendancy in 



MASSA MARITTIMA 417 

1330^ succeeded in driving out the supporters of Siena. 
The result of this was that Siena sent her troops^ under the 
famous Captain Guido Riccio^ against the commune; and 
although a truce was made by the intervention of Florence^ 
the rival interests of the two factions were not satisfied ^ 
and internal disturbances continued. Finally, in 1335, 
the people, who were always more given to industry than 
to politics or war, hoping to secure peaceful conditions, 
placed themselves voluntarily under the protection of 
Siena. 

Immediately afterwards Siena set about building an 
immense fortress, and laid a heavy tax upon the citizens. 
The prosperity of the town rapidly declined, the mining 
industry was reduced, and the heavily burdened people were 
still further embarrassed by repeated outbreaks of plague. 
In 1408, there were only 400 inhabitants left; many 
of the nobles had removed to Siena, and the work- 
men had joined the warrior companies. Devastated by 
marauders, the agricultural lands surrounding Massa, and 
in the Maremma gradually fell out of cultivation, and for 
lack of drainage the low-lying areas became unhealthy and 
infested by wolves. A report made of the state of the 
country to the Sienese governors, attributed the unhealthi- 
ness of the Maremma to the poison from the breath of 
serpents borne on the wind from Africa, and to the lack of 
human breath, which helped to purge the air. In 1554 
Massa sustained a siege by the Spaniards and capitulated, 
becoming part of the estates of the Grand Dukes of Tus- 
cany. Under the house of Lorraine the miserable con- 
dition of the country was greatly improved. Francis III. 
built a great hospital in 1744, and imported 146 families 
from Lorraine. Drainage works were undertaken, and 
agriculture revived. Massa is renowned as the birth- 
place of Bernardino Albizeschi (S. Bernardino), known 
throughout Italy for the saintliness of his life and his per- 
suasive eloquence in preaching. He was born in Massa in 
1380, but losing both parents in early childhood, he was 
brought up in the house of his Albizeschi relatives in 



4i8 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Siena. He frequently visited his native town^ and was 
successful in making peace between rival factions. In 
almost every town in Tuscany and Umbria^, one may find 
over the street doors the monogram of Christ which 
S. Bernardino in his mxission against pride and vainglory 
persuaded people to set up in place of family arms and 
ensigns. A few of these may be seen in the streets of Massa^ 
and the image of the peace-loving saint is to be found upon 
the walls;, and on the altar-pieces of some of the churches.] 

The city is surrounded by walls^ and above the gate of 
entrance from the station are the arms of the Republic^ a 
lion rampant. 

The lower part of the town^ known as Borgo and Citta 
Vecchia^ has narrow^ picturesque streets and a striking 
piazza^ in which are the principal buildings, the cathedral, 
Palazzo PubblicO; and Palazzo del Podesta, and some of the 
old private houses. 

The Cathedral* stands on a platform reached by a fine 
flight of steps ; it is so placed that the west front, the nave 
wall, and the fine campanile, are all seen from the entrance 
to the piazza. 

The building is simple and severe in the Romanesque 
style, and the weathered stone gives value to its age and 
dignified outline. The Duomo was begun in 1225 as the 
result of the civic pride of the newly found Republic, the 
land upon which it was raised having been bought by 
the citizens from their own Prince Bishop. 

The work appears to have been due to certain Lombard 
master-masons from Como, Campione and elsewhere. 

The fagade has three ranges of arcading : the lower con- 
sists of seven large round arches, with formal sculpture on 
the mouldings and the usual lozenge-shaped decorations 
or round windows within each arch ; in the second range 
there are five arches veiling the western circular window ; 
the third range in the gable is of lighter style and later date 
(probably 1287) ; the columns are of red marble. Owing 
to the position of the building, the side wall to the north 



MASS A MARITTIMA 419 

is an important feature ; it is a fine expanse of arcading 
in which the material^ the proportions and the sculpture 
contribute to a somewhat unusually grave and dignified 
general effect. The clerestory walling is banded in green 
and white material. The traditional or symbolical 
animals sculptured on the capitals and at the bases of the 
columns; the lions with their prey between their fore paws, 
the details of many architectural ornaments, are similar to 
the work found on the Romanesque buildings of Pisa, 
Arezzo and Pistoia. Over the lintel of the central door is 
the story of S. Cerbone, one of the patrons of the city. 

In 515 the Bishop Regulus, with his disciple Cerbone, fled 
from Africa to escape from the persecutions of the Vandals. 
They landed at Populonia, and about thirty years after- 
wards Regulus was martyred by the soldiers of King 
Totila. Cerbone was throw^n into a cave of bears, but 
escaped unhurt. He buried the body of his master and 
became Bishop in his place. Messengers came from Pope 
Vigilius summoning Cerbone to Rome to answer charges 
made against him. These men, exhausted by the perils of 
their journey, were fed by the saint with the milk of wild 
does. On his way to Rome Cerbone w^as met by a flock 
of geese, who bowed before him. The saint commanded 
the birds to go with him to the Pope, of whom it was said 
he did not willingly hear those who came empty-handed. 
The Pope received the gift, but when Cerbone made the 
sign of the cross the geese immediately flew away. 

Beginning to the r., the scenes are : S. Cerbone celebrates 
Mass in presence of the Pope. The saint goes to Rome 
accompanied by the geese. He satisfies the thirst of the 
papal legates w^ith does' milk. He remains unhurt by the 
bears. The body of the saint is brought to the mainland 
from the island of Elba. 

The door jambs are carved with characteristic Roman- 
esque interlacings. Several of the windows of the 
campanile have been unfortunately built up. and altered, 
and the restoration of the dome over the crossing spoils 
the harmonious effect of the building. 



420 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

The Interior in general effect is simple and spacious. 
The nave and aisles are covered with ungroined vaulting ; 
there is no triforium and no variety of colour in the stone. 
The massive nave columns support circular arches ; the 
capitals have strong bold designs^ for the most part imitated 
from classical forms. In this church there are carvings 
which illustrate the development of Italian sculpture from 
an elementary form of Romanesque stone cutting up to the 
complicated handling of Renaissance artists^ as follows : — 
(i) On the western wall^ an ancient ambone (twelfth cen- 
tury (?)). (2) The lower basin of the font, 1267. (3) The 
reliquary of S. Cerbone^ 1324. (4) The tabernacle over 
the font, 1447. 

The fragments of carving placed against the western 
wall are parts of an ambone from the old Church of 
S. Cerbone. 

The subjects are, on the upper line : a man laden 
with sacks ; Christ enthroned and giving the blessing ; 
Madonna crowned, between four angels; and above 
Madonna, in an aureole, the two patron saints, Regulus and 
Cerbone. On the lower row : the Massacre of the Inno- 
cents, a number of circular leaf ornaments, and the Twelve 
Apostles. The figures are disproportioned, and have no 
power of movement. The drapery is marked by parallel 
lines as though drawn by a pen. It is the work of a man 
struggling to express himself with straightforward sim- 
plicity but having little mastery over his material. 

Compare with this the font on the opposite side, which 
is raised upon a few steps. The lower basin, dated 1267, 
is the work of Magister Giroldo di Jacopo, of Como. The 
upper tabernacle, with the figures of twelve patriarchs and 
prophets under niches, was added in 1447. Giroldo's 
sculpture on the basin is extremely elaborate ; the scenes 
are framed in flat ornamented pilasters and arcades. The 
work is transitional : it has lost the simple dignity and 
solidity of the best Romanesque. The features are 
strongly marked, the draperies complicated, Wd ; the sub- 
jects are treated with romantic feeling, but the sculptor has 



MASS A MARITTIMA 421 

not yet gained command of the harmonious forms and the 
grace of Hne that we find in the work of the Pisani. The 
subjects are^ beginning to the l. : the angel appears to 
Zacharias ; Zacharias writes the name of the child ; John 
baptises Christ in the Jordan ] Christ visited by angels in 
the desert ; John preaching. On the side^ facing the west 
wall; are scenes representing John baptising and preaching 
to the Jew^s. On the back : John is taken prisoner ; Herod 
orders his decapitation ; Salome asks for the head of the 
Baptist ; she presents the head to her mother ; the saint 
is decapitated. On the side, to the east, Christ is seated 
in the centre^ with the two bishop saints^ Regulus and 
CerbonC; Madonna and John the Baptist. 

Close by is a holy water stoup of the thirteenth century. 
The basin rests upon a capital carved with the four symbols 
of the Evangelists among foliage. 

The third piece for comparison is the area or reliquary 
of S. Cerbone made by Magister Goro Gregori of Siena 
(whose father had been a pupil of Niccolo Pisano), now 
under the high altar^ together with the twelve statues of 
the Apostles, now arranged above the stalls in the choir. 

The date of the sculptures on the area is 1324. The 
scenes represent: S. Cerbone summoned by the Pope's 
messengers to go to Rome ; the saint heals the sick ; he 
presents the geese to the Pope ; he celebrates Mass. 
On the back of the area : S. Cerbone is accused before the 
Pope ; he is exposed to the bears. On the cover are 
twelve medallions, with Madonna and Child; Apostles and 
saints. The figures of the Apostles in the choir have 
something of Pisan reserve and feeling for style. 

The whole work, compared with the baptismal font; shows 
a great advance in skill of representation. The scenes are 
still; however, full of picturesque detail ; the woods in the 
background; the horses, dogs, and wild animals are finished 
with delicacy and care. 

In the chapel at the crossing of the r. aisle is a picture 
of the Presentation in the TemplC; attributed variously to 
Sano di Ptetro or Matteo dt Giovanni of Siena, 



422 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

On the wall of the l. aisle there are several fragments of 
frescoes^ in the style of the fourteenth century. 

The statues of the patron saints over the door^ and the 
stained glass in the round window^ are modern. 

In the sacristy there are a number of fine vestments^ and 
a wooden painted bust of S. Cerbone of the fourteenth 
century. 

The Palazzo del Podestk^ and the Palazzo Comunale or 
Pubblico^ the outcome of the Republican feeling of the 
citizens marking their desire for self-government and in- 
dependence^ were both built in the thirteenth century. The 
Palazzo del Podesta^ now the Prefecture^ was built in 1230 ; 
it is a massive plain buildings with a certain rugged vigor- 
ous simplicity. The Palazzo Comunale is surmounted 
with battlements which were added later. 

To the L. of the Palace is a small house of three storeys, 
formerly belonging to the counts of Biserno, of the family 
of Gherardesca, who were citizens of Massa until the fall of 
the Republic. 

The picturesque Fonte Pubblica is reached by a short 
street leading from the piazza. 

To reach the upper town, Massa Nuova, mount the steep 
street, Via Moncini. A massive gateway, with the Bal- 
zana, the arms of Siena, above the entrance, leads into the 
Piazza Vetulonia. 

Here we see the magnificent arch w^hich the Sienese built 
in 1336 or 1337 to connect the old tower of the town with 
the new fortress which they raised to " brood over the city 
like a falcon." The fortress was built by Sienese archi- 
tects ; probably Agostino di Giovanni (operaio of the 
Palazzo Pubblico in Siena in 1339, when the tower, " La 
Mangia " was being built) was concerned in its design 
or execution. 

The greater part of the fortress was pulled down in 1744, 
when the Grand Duke Francis III. raised the much-needed 
Hospital of S. Andrea. 

On reaching the Piazza Vetulonia turn to the r. A few 
yards along the street is the Church of S. Agostino, a church 



MASSA MARITTIMA 423 

built in the pointed style between 1299 and 131 2. The 
apse and the side chapel were built by Domenico di Agos- 
tino, in 1348, one of the architects of the cathedral of 
Siena. The interior^ which consists of an aisleless nave with 
a high groined roof; is very striking. Near the door are 
two holy water stoups of the sixteenth century. Over 
the second altar to the l. is a picture of the Nativity ; 
above the thirds a rude wooden statue of S. Nicholas of 
TolentinO; of the fourteenth century. Above the next 
altar is the Annunciation^ by Jacopo da Empolt. Near the 
choir is the chapel of Sta. Lucia, the patron saint of miners. 

The cloisters, to the l. of the principal door, have stone 
columns with carved capitals. The campanile was built 
in 1627. 

In the former Monastery of Sta. Chiara, now used as a 
school, there is a small museum, containing objects of 
historical or artistic interest. The most notable is an 
interesting symbolical picture by Amhrogio Lorenzetti, 
Madonna and Child are enthroned in the midst of a court 
of the Virtues, angels and saints. On the three steps of 
the throne, painted w^hite, green and red, are Faith, Hope 
and Charity. The holy bishops, Regulus and Cerbone, 
with the symbol of the goose, stand on the l. Unfortun- 
ately the picture has been much damaged. 

The Church of S. Francesco stands upon a little pro- 
montory. Owing to the slipping of the soil it has been 
alm.ost entirely destroyed, and is only a sixth of its original 
size. The octagonal apse has high window^s with pointed 
arches. On the pilasters are several coats -of -arms of 
various families of Massa, and in a chapel on the r. are the 
holy protectors of Massa, S. Cerbone and S. Bernardino. 

Near to the door to the r. is a sepulchral stone recording 
the death of a child, Bindoccius, the son of the Countess 
Margherita Aldobrandeschi, and of Dominus Nello Pan- 
nocchieschi. Margherita, daughter of Ildobrandino Aldo- 
brandeschi, the heiress of a large part of her father's 
territory, became the wife of Guy de Montfort (Guido di 
Monforte), who slew^Prince^Henry, the brother of King 



424 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Edward of England, in 1 2 7 1 . According to tradition, Nello, 
or Paganello of the Pannocchieschi, desiring to be free to 
marry the Countess Margherita, had his wife Pia thrown 
from the window of his castle in the Maremma in 1295. 
Dante places Pia in the Antepurgatory among those who 
delayed repentance. " Remember me, who am. La Pia/' 
she says. '' Siena made me, Maremma unmade me " 
(Purg. V. 133). 

GROSSETO 

Grosseto, the capital of the province, is a pleasant, 
prosperous-looking town surrounded by ramparts, from 
whence there is a wide view over the level country 
beyond the town, and| of the hills that circle the 
plain on three sides. Part of the ramparts are laid out 
as a public garden, open in the afternoon. 

[The origin of the city is probably very ancient, but there 
are no remains of an Etruscan or Roman town. Its 
interest lies in the records of the Middle Ages. In 815 Louis 
the Pious granted the Church of Grosseto and a large 
territory around to the Abbot of S. Antimo. In 11 38 
Innocent 11. transferred the Episcopal See from Rusellae to 
Grosseto. In the twelfth century the Aldobrandeschi, 
lords of Santa Flora and Pitigliano, were powerful through- 
out the Maremma. Grosseto was one of their strongholds, 
which are said to have been as numerous as the days of the 
year. Early in the thirteenth century the Sienese and 
Orvietans entered into an agreement to curb the power of 
the Aldobrandeschi. The upshot of the struggle was that 
the counts were obliged to pay tribute to Orvieto and to 
become citizens. Quarrels between Florence and Orvieto 
a few years later gave the Aldobrandeschi an advantage ; 
they made alliance with Siena, gave Grosseto her liberty, 
and then in 1224 helped the Sienese to take possession of 
the town, which was an important point on the seaboard 
and on the route to Rome. From that date until the six- 
teenth century the memory of ancient liberty, fanned as 



GROSS ETO 425 

a rule by the feudal lords of the Maremma in their own 
interest^ roused the citizens of the little Republic to repeated 
and unavailing rebellion. In 1308 an ineffectual rising 
was led by Bino del' Abate^ a prominent citizen. Again 
in 1333, on the death of a member of the Malia family^ one 
of the most important in Grosseto^ another attem.pt was 
made to recover freedom ; the Sienese crushed the revolt, 
pulled down the city walls and built a fortress to com- 
mand the people. During the years of misrule in Siena at 
the beginning of the sixteenth century the Maremma 
became infested with banditi^ discharged soldiers from 
the mercenary troops, outlaws and exiles. The Sienese 
Government had no power to control lawlessness, and the 
towns, Grosseto, Orbetello and Massa Marittima, were 
reduced to a pitiable state. Under Leopold I. the town 
took a new lease of life. By means of canals, ditches, and 
dams the land was drained, and theunhealthiness of Grosseto, 
which had become a byword ('' Grosseto ingrossa ")^ was 
reduced. In 1766 it was made the capital of the province. 
The streets of the bright little town have lost their mediaeval 
character ; the houses have been plastered and painted 
and the municipio in the piazza is a modern construction.] 
The Duomo (S. Lorenzo) was built between 1190 and 
1250 upon a site of an ancient church of the Assunta. A 
reconstruction of the fagade and nave walls was begun by 
Sozzo di Pace Rustichini of Siena in 1294 and finished before 
1327. The fagade has undergone two restorations in 
modern times, and several of the statues and sculptures 
have been remodelled or replaced. Arches both round 
and pointed have been used, and there is a large round 
window in the upper part of the fagade. The doorways, 
with their twisted columns of red and white marble and 
foliage capitals, with the carvings on the pilasters and 
architraves, as well as the four symbolical animals on the 
cornice, are believed to be the work of Sozzo Rustichini. 
The side door on the southern flank was restored in 1897, 
when a copy of the group of Madonna and saints by Gio- 
vanni d'Agostino, now in the oratory of S. Bernardino at 



42 6 THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

Siena^ was placed in the tympanum^ and the statues under 
niches at the sides were replaced by modern copies. The 
use of v/hite and rose-coloured marble produces a charming 
effect of colour. 

The Interior was restored in the seventeenth century^ 
when walls ; columns and roof were covered with plaster. 
It has been transformed again to its early construction^ in 
modern times. 

Over the central door is a relief of Christ in a mandorla 
upheld by angels^ the only remains of the first building from 
1 190 to 1250. Near the door is a pila for holy water ^ 
dated 1506. Beside the second pilaster is a baptismal 
font in the style of the fifteenth century^ with reliefs of 
John the Baptist and seven other saints on the eight sides. 
There are also the arms of Grosseto^ adopted by the town 
in the fourteenth century^ a grifhn holding a sword ; and 
the arms of Siena^ of the Opera del DuomO;, and of the 
donor. 

The carved altar-piece is the work of Antonio Ghini of 
Siena^ 1474. The picture which it surrounds^ Madonna in 
Assumption^ is by Matteo di Giovanni. 

On the pillar to the r. of the altar is a picture of Madonna 
and Child^ attributed to Pietro Lorenzetti. 

Over the entrance to the sacristy is a Madonna and 
Child; by Sassetta. 

In the sacristy there is a Pieta^ with SS. Rocco and Cres- 
cenzio; by Pacchiarotto, Also a collection of illuminated 
choral books. 

In the Church of the Misericordia there are two inter- 
esting pictures. On the r.^ Madonna and Child; by Segna 
di Bonaventura ; the Child wears a little red robe^ and has 
a full round face with curly hair. The background is gilt. 

On the L. is a picture of the Last Judgment^ supposed 
to be of the twelfth century. Christ is seated on a rain- 
bow,, showing his wounds^ from which blood flows. Under 
his feet is a great wooden cross^ upheld by two angels of 
Byzantine type^ in deacon's robes. To the l. is a saint 
pointing out the stairs by which the blessed ascend to the 



GROSSETO ' 427 

gate where they are received by Peter. On the R.; the dead 
rise from their graves. In the foreground below, figures 
are seen cUmbing a hill, on one side (perhaps a representation 
of Purgatory) ; on the opposite side the damned are in 
torment. 

In the Church of S. Francesco there is a crucifix of the 
fourteenth century over the western door, and fragments 
of frescoes in the style of the fifteenth century on the w^alls. 

In the Prefettura (a modern building on the site of the 
old Palazzo del Podesta) is the Mnseo, containing a number 
of Etruscan antiquities and some Rom.an and mediaeval 
objects of interest. 

In the central corridor, Etruscan urns of stone and terra- 
cotta are ranged along the walls. Many of the urns have 
small sleeping figures on the lid, in the style common in the 
Chiusi district. Others have portrait statues in a reclining 
posture. The reliefs on the sides of the urns are the usual 
tragic scenes, such as the combat of the Theban brothers, 
the death of Hippolytus. Others represent the journey of 
the soul to the underworld, or farew^ell scenes where the 
dead person takes leave of his friends. 

Room I. to the l. In cases against the wall are speci- 
mens of the unglazed ware of Grosseto and Rusellae, and 
also of black ware. A collection of painted vases dating 
from the seventh to the third century B.C. 

On the window wall. Unglazed ware from the third to 
the first century B.C. Also the coral-red ware of Arezzo. 

On the centre stand are some fragments of Roman 
sculpture and several Etruscan antifixes. 

First room (on the R.) contains coins, seals, rings, medals 
of various periods. A coin of Volterra (Case 4) of 1231, 
and a gold coin of the last of the Medici Gian Gas tone, 
1723 (Case 3), may be mentioned. 

Second room to the r. contains furniture, and a few 
panel pictures, amongst them a S. Michael, by Segna di 
Bonaventura, and Madonna and Child, by Girolamo di 
Benvenuto. 

Third room. Urns from Vetulonia, vase-shaped and 



428 • THE SMALLER TUSCAN TOWNS 

with rude linear designs. In cases in the centre are 
bronzes ; and against the wall^ specimens of glass and coins. 
The library contains some manuscripts of the thirteenth 
and fourteenth centuries. In the courtyard is an Etruscan 
grain mill in very perfect condition. 

Excursions from Grosseto 

Rusellae^ about six miles to the N.E. of the town. A 
level road leads through cultivated fields^ the granary of 
Grosseto since the Middle Ages. To the r. is a line of wooded 
hills crowned by the mediaeval fortress of the Torre Mos- 
cona. Beyond lie the remains of the Etruscan city of 
Rusellae. After passing the hot sulphur springs of the 
Bagni di Roselle^ continue along the road for ten minutes ; 
and then strike into the fields until a couple of cottages are 
reached. Here the carriage must be left. A climb of about 
half-an-hour leads to the line of Etruscan walls ; the ground 
is exceedingly rough in places; quickset hedges are common^ 
and care should be taken to inquire about the path. The 
walls are built of large blocks of stone ; the best preserved 
construction is on the north side. Within the lines are 
vaults^ the remains of Roman workmanship. Rusellae 
was one of the cities of the Etruscan confederation which^ 
according to a doubtful tradition^ made war on Tarquinius 
Prisons. In 301 B.C. the Etruscans were defeated by the 
Romans at Rusellae^ and in 294 B.C. 2000 of the people 
were made captive. Under Augustus a Roman colony 
was settled in the place^ but it never became of importance. 
In Christian times it was an Episcopal See^ which was 
removed to Grosseto in 1138. 

The view from the site of the ancient city is very fine, 
including the rich Valley of the Ombrone, long ranges of 
blue hills, and; at no great distance, the line of the Medi- 
terranean shore. 

The sea coast at Torre S. Rocco may be reached by a 
drive of about an hour and a half. The level road passes 



GROSSETO 429 

over the plain which in Cicero's time was a lake (Lacus 
Prelius), and in the Middle Ages a malarious swamp. The 
road runs by the side of one of the many drainage ditches^ 
by means of which in the course of the last century the 
swamp was transformed into cultivatable land. At Torre 
S. Rocco^ now a coastguard station^ a delightful walk may 
be made^ skirting the pine woods through an undergrowth 
of rosemary^ thyme^ juniper and flowering heaths. The 
view seaward is very beautiful^ with the islands of II 
Giglio; Montecristo and Pianosa^ and cloud-capped mass of 
Elba. Orbetello is on the mainland to the l.^ Castiglione 
della Pescaja^ to the r. 



2 F 



INDEX 



Abbadia S. Salvatore, 389 ; 
crypt of church, 390 

Agostino and Agnolo of Siena, 
160, 162, 169 

Aldobrandeschi, Family of, 
392, 394, 398, 423 

Amiata, Monte, 387 

Andrea del Sarto, 24, 27, 333 

Andrea della Robbia, 163, 
179, 181, 194, 218 

Andrea da Firenze, 43 

Andrea Pisano, 70 

Andrea del Castagno, 191 

Anghiari, Battle of, 191 

Anna, Sta. (near Pienza), 371 

Antimo, S., 384-387 

Antonio Veneziano, 43 

Arcidosso, 394 

Areobindus, 99 

Arezzo, 158-180 ; history 
of, 158 ; Duomo, 160 ; 
shrine of S. Donato, 161 ; 
Tarlati monument, 162 ; 
S. Domenico, 164 ; S. 
Annunziata, 165 ; S. Maria 
in Grado, 165 ; SS, Loren- 
tino and Pergentino, 165 ; 
museum and gallery, 166 ; 
Badia, 169 ; S. Francesco, 
170 ; Pieve, 174 ; Palazzo 
of the Misericordia, 177 ; 
Palazzo Pubblico, 178 ; 
Palazzo del Podesta, 178 ; 
S, Agostino, 178 ; S. Maria 
della Grazie, 179 ; excur- 
sions, 180-184 

Arliano, 119 

Amolfo del Cambio, 191 

Art, Sienese and Byzantine, 
304 

4.M 



Asciano, CoUegiata, 350 ; S. 
Agostino, 350 ; S. Sebas- 
tiano, 351 ; S. Francesco, 

351 

Augustine, S., glory of, 145 ; 
life of, 241 

Badia l'Isola, 341 

Bagni di Lucea, 120 ; Villa, 

121 ; Ponte a Serraglio, 

121 ; Bagni Caldi, 121 
Baptisteries, Lucca, 99 ; Pisa, 

28-35 ; Pistoia, 135 ; Siena, 

293 ; Volte rra, 408 
Barga, 122-124 
Bamaba da Modena, 61 
Bama, 233 
Bartolommeo della Gatta, 

164, 168, 182, 183, 217 
Bartolo di Maestro Fredi, 

232,243,310,311,312,370, 

381 
Bartolo, S., 240 
Bazzi, Antonio, 25, 63, 231, 

256, 260, 262, 297, 320, 321, 

322, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 

332, 333, 334, 367, 371, 377» 

383 
Beccafumi, 25, 278, 288, 297, 

300, 301, 322, 323, 334 
Benabbio, 121 
Benedetto da Majano, 152, 

169, 179, 236, 238, 240, 

241, 328 
Benedict, S., Story of, 343, 

345 
Benozzo Gozzoli, 45, 62, 

74, 236, 237, 241, 408 
Benvenuto di Giovanni, 323, 

324, 329, 351 



43^ 



INDEX 



Berlinghiero, 102 
Bernardino, S., 179 ; oratory 

of, 333 ; relics of, 335 ; 

birthplace, 417 
Bernini, 277, 285 
Bibbiena, 191 ; Cardinal of, 

192 
Bicci di Lorenzo, 151 
Biduinus, 48, 81, 108, 116, 

123 
Bocca d'Amo, 76 
Bonannus, 22, 85 
Borgo S. Sepolcro, 184 
Bonfigli, 383 
Botticini, 223 
Brancoli, 118 
Bronze doors, Pisa, 19 
Brunelieschi, 342 
Bruzio, S., 399 
Buonconvento, 343 
Buschetto, 16 
Byron, House of, 75 

Calci, 79 

Cam aj ore, 10 

Camaldoli, 201 ; order, 202 

Campaldino, 190, 191 

Campaniles, Pisan, 35 ; 
Sienese, 255, 272 ; 
Lncchese, 105, 109 ; Calci, 
80 ; Pistoia, 132 ; Prato, 
150 

Campiglia d'Orcia, 388 

Campo Santo, Pisa, paintings, 
36-47 ; sculpture, 47-50 

Campo, The, Siena, 269 

Carrara, 3 

Casentino, The^ 187-212 ; 
Vallombrosa, 187 ; Bib- 
biena, 191 ; La Vema, 192 ; 
Poppi, 198 ; Camaldoli, 
201 ; Prato vecchio, 203 ; 
Romena, 203 ; Porciano, 
205 ; Montemignaio, 206 ; 
S. Maria della Grazie, 208 ; 
Stia, 209 ; Gaviserri, 211 

Cassiano a Settimo, 81 

Cassiano di Controne, 125 

Castiglione Fiorentino, 182 

Castruccio Castracane, 5, 84, 
85> 114 



Catherine, S., of Siena, 260, 

325-327 

Cellino di Nese, 29, 49, 135 

Certosa, Pisa, 79, 80 

Cetona, 362 

Chiiisi, 353-360 ; Duomo, 
354; Museo Civico, 355; 
Etruscan tombs, 359 

Cibo family, i 

Cimabue, 25 

Cistercians, 275 ; architec- 
tural style used by, 347 

Civitali, Matteo, 95, 96, 97, 
102, 103, 105, 108, 115, 
117 ; Nicolas, 102, 112, 115 

Coins, Pisan, 63 

Coppo Marcovaldo, 302 

Cortona, History of, 212 ; 
Museo, 213 ; Duomo, 214 ; 
Baptistery, 215 ; churches, 
216-219 

Cosimo Roselli, 98 

Cozzarelli, 298, 301 ; Gui- 
doccio, 300, 318, 320, 322, 
333 ; Giacomo, 335 

Cross, Story of True, 170 

Crucifixes, Early, ^6, 57 

Daniele da Volterra, 98, 

406 
Dante at Sarzana, 5 
Deodato Orlandi, 58, 102 
Desiderio da Settignano, 154 
Diotisalvi, 28, 71, 107 
Domenico di Bartolo, 292, 

313. 314 
Donatello, 68, 150, 274, 278, 

295> 296, 376 
Duccio, 289, 305, 308, 309, 

342 

Empoli, 221 ; Baptistery, 
223 ; Collegiata, 221 ; S. 
Maria della Ripa, 223 ; 
S. Stefano, 223 
Etruscan bronzes, 47, 213 
Etruscan museums, Arezzo, 
166 ; Chiusi, 355-359 ; Sar- 
teano, 361 ; Volte rra, 409, 
412 ; tombs, Chiusi, 359, 
360 



INDEX 



433 



Evangeliarium (Siena), 303 
Excursions, from Pisa, 76 ; 
from Lucca, 118; from 
Pistoia, 148 ; from Arezzo, 
180 ; from Siena, 334 ; 
from Chiusi, 361 ; from 
Manciano, 397 ; from Pitig- 
liano, 39S ; from Grosseto, 
428 
Exultet Roll (Pisa), 56 

Federighi, 276 

Filippino Lippi, 106, 155 

Fina, S., 236 

Font in baptistery (Siena), 

295 ; font by Robertas 

(Lucca), no 
Fonte Gaia (Siena), 269, 270 
Fra Angelico, 215, 217 
Fra Bartolommeo, 96, loi, 

Fra Filippo Lippi, 150, 152, 

153. 155 
Fra Guglielmo, 50, 66, 136 
Francesco di Giorgio, 299, 318, 

319, 320, 324, 328, 337 
Francesco da Volterra, 44 
Francis, S., -receives from the 
Lord of Chiusi the Mount 
La Verna, 193 ; cell of, at 
La Verna, 197 ; receives 
the stigmata, 197 ; like- 
nesses of, at Pisa, 57 ; at 
Arezzo, 168 
Fungai, 302, 303, 322, 323, 
324, 330, 331 

Gaddi, Taddeo, 13S, 221 

Gaddo Gaddi, 26 

Galgano, S., Church of, 345- 

350 
Galgano, S., Life of, 348-350 
Gahleo Galilei, js 
Gallicano, 124 
Garfagnana, The, 120 
Gaviserri, 211 
Gentile da Fabriano, 61 
Gerino da Pistoia, 139 
Gherardesca family, 12; Ugo- 

lino, 13 



Ghiberti, Lorenzo, 191, 295 
Ghirlandajo, 26, 63, 64, 98, 

236, 238 ; Ridolfo, 139 
Giacomo dell Pellicciaio, 293, 

302, 313 
Gimignano, S., 226-246 ; 

history of, 226 ; Cellole , 

245 ; CoUegiata, 232 ; For- 

tezza, 238 ; Picture Gallery, 
,]23o ; The Library, 239 ; S. 

Agostino, 240 ; S. Jacopo, 

244 ; S. Chiara, 244 ; Pal 

del Commune, 228 
Giovanni da Bologna, 19, 24, 

96, 328 
Giovanni da Milano, 153 
Giovanni Pisano, 25, 27, 36, 

49, 53. 274 
Giovanni di Paolo, 315, 316, 

325 
Girdle, The holy, s^, 152 
Giuliano da Majano, 236 
Giunta da Pisa, 50 
Gombo, II, 76 
Gropina, 157 
Groppoli, 148 
Grfosseto, 424-429 ; Duomo, 

425 ; S. Francesco, 427 ; 
history, 424 ; Misericordia, 

426 ; Museo, 427 ; excur- 
sions, 428, 429 

Graamons, 136, 142 
Gualberto, Giovanni, 187, 188, 

202 
Guidectus, 87, 104 
Guidi, Family of, 189-19 1, 

-^203, 206 
Guido, 87, 109 
Guido Bigarelli, 87, 140 
Guido da Como, 87 
Guido Reni, 63 
Guido da Siena, 257, 297 
Guinigi, Paolo, 85 ; palace of, 

114 

Henry of Luxembourg, 48 

Ilaria del Carretto, 97 

Jacopo della Quercia, 97, 
113, 269, 295 



434 

Lazzaretti (Da vide), 394, 

395 
Leopardi, House of, 69 
Lippo Memmi, 229, 298, 309, 

351 
Lives of the Hermits (Pisa), 

41 
Loppia, 122 
Lorenzetti, The, 37, 292 ; 

Ambrogio, 291, 293, 299, 

305> 31O' 333» 337' 351* 
423 ; Pietro, 176, 215, 291, 
296, 297, 309, 311, 332, 426 

Lorenzo di Credi, 133, 182 

Lorenzo Monaco, 153 

Lucas van Leyden, 63 

Lucca, 81-120 ; history of, 
81-86 ; Duomo, 86-98 ; 
fa9ade, 88 ; atrium, 91 ; 
interior, 95 ; treasury, 98 ; 
churches, S. Alessandro, 
103 ; baptistery (S. Gio- 
vanni), 99 ; S. Giuletta, 
116; S. Giusto, 106; S. 
Frediano, 109 ; S. Michele, 
103 ; S. Maria Corteorlan- 
dini, 108 ; vS. Maria dei 
Servi, 115 ; S. Maria Foris- 
portam, 116 ; S. Pietro in 
Somaldi, 114 ; S. Romano, 
103 ; S. Maria della Rosa, 
100 ; S. Salvatore, 108 ; 
S. Simone, 115 ; S. Fran- 
cesco, 114 ; S. Trinita, 117 

Luni, 4 

Maesta, The, Siena, 257 ; S. 

Gimignano, 229 
Mainardi, Sebastiano, 236 
Malaspina family, i, 3 
Manciano, 397 
Marchione, 177 
Margaritone, 168, 170, 176, 

183 
Margarita, S., 219 
Maria in Monte, S., 79 
Maria del Giu dice, S., 120 
Maria a Vado, S., 206 
Maria delle Grazie, 208 
Marrina, 279, 300, 330 
Martin, S., 91, 93 



INDEX 



Masaccio, 222 

Masolino, 223 

Massa, i 

Massa Marittima, 414-424 ; 

history of, 415 ; Duomo, 

418 ; font, 420 ; Pal del 

Podesta, 422 ; museum, 

422 ; S. Francesco, 423 
Matilda, Countess of Tuscany, 

viii., 82, 127, 188, 190, 204 
Matteo di Giovanni, 288, 297, 

300, 302, 318, 320, 322, 323, 

328, 330, 337, 340, 342, 

369, 426 
Mennano, 201 
Michelozzo, 150, 374, 378 
Miniato al Tedesco, S., 223 ; 

churches, 224, 225 ; Muni- 

cipio, 225 
Mino da Fiesole, 152, 222, 

408, 409 
Montaleino, 379-384 ; history 

of, 380; pinacoteca, 381 ; 

Duomo, 382 ; churches, 

382, 383 
Monte Amiata, district of, 

387-399 
Montemerano, 397 
Monte mignaio, 206 
Montemurlo, 148 
Monte Oliveto Maggiore, 342- 

345 
Montepulciano, 372-379 ; his- 
tory of, 373 ; S. Agnese, 
373 ; streets, 375 ; Duomo, 
376 ; Museo, 377 ; churches, 

378 
Monte riggioni, 341 
Montesansavino, 180 
Monticchiello, 372 
Museums, Pisa, 52-64 ; 

Arezzo, 166 ; Lucca, 10 1 ; 

Cortona, 213 ; Chiusi, 355 ; 

Sarteano, 361 ; Pienza, 

370 ; Montepulciano, 377 ; 

Volterra, 409 ; Massa 

Marittima, 423 

Neri di Bicci, 62, 167 
Neroccio di Bartolommeo, 
318, 320 . 



INDEX 



435 



Niccolo di Pietro Gerini, 6^, 

Niccolo Pisano, 29, 32, 64, 94 
Niccolo da Tolentino, S., 154 
Nino Pisano, 50, 51, 102 

Orsini family, 398 
Ospedale del Ceppo (Pistoia) , 
141 

Pacchia, 301, 323, 329, 333, 

334 
Pacchiarotto, 285, 296, 323, 

337> 343. 426 
Palaces, Pisan, 75 ; Lucchese, 

10 1, 106 ; Pistoiese, 130 ; 

Sienese, 251, 253, 254 ; 

Montepulciano, 374; 

Pienza, 369 
Pandolfo Petrucci, 335 
Paolo di Giovanni, 312 
Parri di Spine llo, 167, 179, 

266 
Pavement of the Duomo, 

Siena, 285 
Pelaja, 78 
Perugino, 185, 297 
Peruzzi, Baldassare, 296, 325, 

331. 337 
Pian Castagnaio, 391 
Pienza, 368-371 ; history of, 

368 ; Pieve, 368 ; Duomo, 

369 ; Renaissance build- 
ings, 369, 370 ; Museo, 370 ; 
S. Francesco, 371 

Pierino della Vaga, 27, 276 
Piero Francesco Fiorentino, 

231, 240, 316 
Piero della Francesca, 162, 

170, 180, 185, 186 
Pietra Santa, 8 
Pietro Damiano, S., 180, 202 
Pietro di Puccio, 45 
Pietro in Grado, S., Church 

of, 76 
Pietro Pollaiuolo, 237 
Pinturicchio, 231, 279, 280, 

284 
Pisa, 11-76 ; history of, 11-15 ; 
i.^Duomo, 15 ; bronze doors. 

19 ; treasury, 27 ; Bap- 



tistery, 28 ; pulpit, 32 ; 
campanile, 35 ; Campo 
Santa, 36 ; (churches in) 
St Caterina, 50 ; S. Cecilia, 
52 ; S. Cristina, 71 ; S. 
Domenico, 74 ; S. Fran- 
cesco, 64 ; S. Frediano, 69 ; 
S. M. della Spina, 72 ; S. 
Martino, 70 ; S. Michele, 
66 \ S. Michele degli Scalzi, 
75 ; S. Niccolo, 69 ; S. 
Paolo in Orto, 66 ', S. 
Paolo a Ripa, 73 ; S. 
Pierino, 67 ; S. Ranieri, 50 ; 
S. Sepolcro, 71 ; S. Sisto, 
68 ; S. Stefano, 67. Museo 
Civico, 52 ; palaces, 75 ; 
Palazzo degh Anziani, 68 ; 
Piazza dei CavaHeri, 67 ; 
University, 69 ; excursions 
from, 76-81 
Pisani, Andrea, 70, 150 ; 
Giovanni, 25, 27, 33, 36, 53, 
137, 143, 150, 152, 167, 
274 ; Niccolo, 29, 64, 280, 
281 ; Nino, 19, 50^ 5i> 73» 
102, 135 ; Tommaso, 35, 

64, 73. 135 
Pistoia, 126-147 ; history of, 
127 ; Piazza, 130 ; Palazzo 
Pretorio, 130 ; Palazzo del 
Comune, 131 ; picture 
gallery, 131; Duomo, 132; 
silver altar, 133 ; Bap- 
tistery, 135 ; S. Andrea, 
142 ; S. Bartolommeo, 139 ; 
S. Domenico, 147 ; S. Fran- 
cesco, 144 ; S. Giovanni 
Fuor-ci vitas, 135 ; S. Pietro, 
138 ; excursions from, 148 
PitigHano, 398 
Pius II., 368 
PoHziano, House of, 375 
Ponte a Serraglio, 121 
Poppi, 198 ; the Guidi 
family, 198, 199 ; S. 
Fedele, 199 ; Castle, 198, 



200 



Porciano, 205 ; the Guidi at, 

205 
; Pottery, Are tine, 166 



43^ 



INDEX 



Prato, 149-155 ; Daomo, 149; 

story of the girdle, 152 ; 

Palazzo Municipale, 153 ; 

S. Francesco, 154 ; Spirito 

Santo, 154 
Pratovecchio, 203 ; excur- 
sions from, 203 
Paccio Capanna, 144, 146 
Palpits, Pisan, 32, 53 ; Bran- 

coli, 118, 123 ; Pistoia, 136, 

140, 143 ; Groppoli, 148 ; 

Gropina, 157 ; Siena, 280 ; 

S. M. in Monte, 79 ; Barga, 

123 ; Volte rra, 407 

QuiRico d'Orcia, 365-367 ; 

Collegiata, 366 
Quiricus, S., Story of, 365 

Radicofani, history, 363 ; S. 
Agata, 364 ; Daomo, 364 ; 
Fortezza, 365 

Raffaelle del Colle, 185, 186 

Ratfaellino del Garbo, 63 

Rainaldo, 16, 18 

Ranieri, S., 43 

Regains, S., 93 

Robbia, della. The, 124, 201, 
222, 364, 379, 393 ; Andrea, 
152, 163, 165, 170, 181, 
195, 197, 218, 336, 377, 
383; Luca, 137; Giovanni, 
141, 163, 195, 408, 412, 414 

Robertas, no 

Romena, 203 

Romualdo, S., 188, 202 

Rosia, 340 

Rossellino, Antonio, 152, 154, 
223 ; Bernardo, 164, 177, 
178, 223, 368 

Rosso, II., 182, 405 

Rusellae, 428 

Saints, Ansano, 257, 260 ; 
Antimo, 384 ; Bartolo, 240, 
246 ; Benedict, 343, 345 ; 
Bernardino, 179, 335, 417 ; 
Brandano, 404 ; Catherine 
of Siena, 260, 325-327 ; 
Cerbone, 419 ; Crescentius, 
257 ; Damiano (Pietro), 



' 180, 188, 202 ; Ephssus, 
27, 44 ; Fina, 236 ; Francis, 
193-197 ; Frediano, 109 ; 
Galgano, 348 ; Gimignaij, 
226 ; Giovanni Gualberto, 

187, 188, 202 ; Giulitta, 
365 ; Margarita, 219 ; 
Niccolo (da Tolentino),i54 ; 
Potitus, 27, 44 ; Quiricus, 
365 ; Ranieri, 43 ; Re- 
gulus, 93, 402 ; Romoaldo, 

188, 202 ; Savino, 257 ; 
Victor, 257, 260 ; Zeno, 
132 ; Zita, 112 

Sangallo, Antonio, 181, 375, 
378 ; Giuliano da, 155 

Sano di Pietro, 256, 260, 301, 
316. 317^ 333^ 336, 342, 
3^7' 369, 37o» 381 

Santa Flora, 392 

Santo Volto, The, 97 

Sansavino, 180, 181 

Sarteano, 361 

Sarzana, 4 ; Daomo, 6 ; 
fortress, 6 

Sassetta, 217, 315. 335, 350, 
351, 426 

Saturnia, 397 

Ssulpture, Pisan, 19 ; Campo 
Santa, 47-50 ; Lucca, 83 
92, 99, 104, 106, 107, 108, 
no, 117; Pistoia, 133, 136, 
138, 140, 142 ; Prato, 150 ; 
Gropina, 157 ; Arezzo, 161, 
174 ; Romena, 204 ; Stia, 
210 ; Siena, 287, 288 ; S. 
Qairico d'Orcia, 366 ; Vol- 
terra, 407 ; Massa Marit- 
tima, 420. 

Segna di Tura, 182, 308, 309 

Sforza family, 392 

Shelley, House of, 75 

Siena, S. Agostino, 297 ; 
Baptistery, 293-296 ; Bel- 
caro, 336 ; Campo, 269, 
271 ; Carmine, 296 ; S. 
Catherine, house of, 325 ; 
chapel of, 327 ; Communal 
Library, 303 ; S. Cristoforo, 
329 ; S. Domenico, 326 ; 
Duo mo, 271-287 ; fa9ade, 



INDEX 



437 



273 ; interior, 274 ; pulpit, 
280 ; library, 283 ; pave- 
ment, 285 ; Fonte Gaia, 
269, 270 ; Fonte Giusto, 
330 ; S. Francesco, 331 ; 
History, 246-250 ; hospital, 

292 ; Innocenti, church of, 

293 ; Lecceto, 337 ; Leo- 
nardo al Lago, S., 337 ; 
S. Maria della Neve, 330 ; 
S. Maria in Belem, 341 ; S. 
Maria dei Servi, 301 ; S. 
Martino, 300 ; Monna Ag- 
nese, church of, 293 ; 
Monastero, II, 336 ; Monte 
Olive to Maggiore, 342-345 ; 
Monte rrigione, 341 ; Opera 
del Duomo, 287 ; Osser- 
vanza, 334 ; Oratory of S. 
Bernardino, 333 ; palaces 
and streets, 250-254 ; 
Palazzo Pubblico, 254-269 ; 
Palazzo del Governo, 298 ; 
picture gallery, 303-325 ; 
Pietro Ovile, S., 331 ; Ponte 
alia Spina, 339 ; Porta 
Ovile, 331 ; S. Stefano, 330 ; 
S. Spirito, 300 

Signorelli Luca, 164, 168, 169, 
183, 186, 214, 216, 218, 

343> 345. 350, 378, 405 
Simone Martini, 52, 59, 257, 

305 
Sorana, 398 
Sovana, 398 
Sovicile, 340 
Spinello Aretino, 44, 61, 70, 

165, 170, 173, 176, 178, 

266, 377 
Staggia, 342 
Stagi, 24, 27 
Stia, 209 

Taddeo Bartolo, 61, 6^, 
230, 235, 260, 261, 289, 
302, 313, 332, 376, 405 

Tamagni Vincenzo, 238, 239, 
241 

Tapestries (Pisa), 55 

Tarlati (Bishop), 159 ; monu- 
ment, 162 ; Piero, 192 



Tino da Camaino, 48, 66, 278 

Tintoretto, 95, 102 

Tombs, Aragazzi, 376 ; Ilaria 
del Carre tto, 97 ; S. Mar- 
gherita, 219 ; Bishop 
Pecci, 278 ; Cardinal 
Petroni, 278 ; S. Romano, 
103 ; Tarlati, 16? ; Trenta, 

113 
Torre S. Rocco, 429 
Torri, 340 

Traini, 37, 51, 52, 60 
Triumph of Death (Pisa), 

37 
Tuscany, architecture, ix. ; 
character of the people, 
vii. ; history, viii. ; Intro- 
duction, vii. ; painting, 
xii. ; sculpture, x. ; Central 
Tuscany, 221-351 ; Eastern 
Tuscany, 157-219; Nor- 
thern Tuscany, 1-155 ; 
Southern Tuscany, 353- 
399 ; Western Tuscany, 
401-429 

Ugo, Marquis of Tuscany, 

139, 226 
Uguccione della Faggiuola, 

14, 184 
Urbano da Cortona. 276, 277, 

332 

Vallombrosa, 187 
Vanni, 327, 330 
Vasari, Giorgio, 102, 169, 181 
Vecchietta, 257, 259, 266, 
278, 285, 292, 299, 316, 

325. 335> 342, 369, 370 
Veneziano, Antonio, 43 
Verna, La, 192, 198 ; Chiesina 
degli Angeli, 194 ; Chiesa 
Grande, 195 ; Chapel of the 
Cross, 196 ; Chapel of the 
Stigmata, 197 ; Sasso 
Spicco, 198 
Verrocchio, 133 
Vignola, 375 

Virtues and Vices, 261, 263, 
55 



43B 



INDEX 



Volterra, 401-415 ; S. Agos- 
tino, 412 ; Baptistery, 408 ; 
baize, 414 ; Duomo, 407 ; 
pulpit, 407 ; S. Francesco, 
413 ; fortress, 409 ; S. 
Girolamo, 414 ; history, 
402 ; S. Michele, 412 ; 



museum, 409-412 



the 



piazza, 404 ; Pal. Pretorio, 
404 ; Pal. de Priori, 404 ; 
picture gallery, 305 ; walls, 
414 

William of Innsbruck, 35 

ZiTA, S., 112 



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